A Week in Jacksonville
by Iroc24
Summary: Bella decides to spend some quality time with Renee while Edward is in New York with Alice to shop for the wedding. Why didn't Edward go with Bella? Can she stay out of trouble for the week? And why is Emmett in Florida? Between Eclipse & Breaking Dawn.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I felt Edward's lips slowly start moving up and down my neck. I loved when he acted as an alarm clock, but I wish I could sleep a little longer. He continued up my neck until his lips reached me ear.

"It's time to wake up love. You don't want to miss your flight." I turned around and lifted myself up on my elbows to look at his face.

"I can always take a later flight. Besides, I'm very comfortable right here with you. Are you sure you don't want to come with me to Jacksonville?" He pulled me into his arms and we just sat there for a few minutes before he responded.

"You need to spend some alone time with your mother. Besides, I need to be in New York to make sure Alice doesn't go overboard with the wedding plans. Unless you want her-" I didn't let him finish that statement. I knew he was right. Last week I had to stop Alice from buying four white horses to pull a solid gold carriage.

"Just because I understand the importance of you going with Alice doesn't mean I'll miss you any less." I would have stayed in his arms all day if it wasn't for Charlie interrupting us. He yelled from downstairs.

"Bella, are you up yet? We need to leave soon if I'm going to get you to the airport on time." His voice was getting louder as he spoke. Edward disappeared so I knew before it happened that Charlie was about to open my door.

"Bella you're still in bed?" He said it like a question even though he could clearly see me. "Your flight is in three hours and we still need to get to the airport." I knew that getting to the airport wasn't going to be a problem with Edward driving. Although I guess I never told Charlie that he didn't need to drive.

"Dad I thought I told you that Alice was going to drive me. She's heading to New York for the weekend anyway." Better to mention Alice than Edward to Charlie. Alice was by far Charlie's favorite Cullen.

"Well I can drive you both. That way Alice doesn't have to pay for parking." I just stared at Charlie. By now he knew better than to think saving money would stop Alice from doing something. "If you're sure that you don't want me to drive you. You still need to get ready so you don't miss your flight." I got out of bed and picked up my bag of toiletries. Charlie stepped out of the doorframe and allowed me to walk towards the bathroom. When I returned to my bedroom I jumped back for a second. Alice was pulling all of my clothing out of my packed suitcase.

"What are you doing Alice? I just finished packing everything." She smiled but didn't stop.

"Like I would let you go to Florida with clothes like that." She pointed to the pile on my floor that use to be folded neatly in my suitcase. "Bella, how many times are we going to have this discussion? I am going to be your sister soon and as your sister I am going to make sure that you have only fashionable clothing to wear." She zipped up my suitcase. Obviously satisfied with the new clothing she packed instead.

"Alice, I like my clothes. You're going to be my sister soon and you need to realize that my taste in fashion is never going to change." Her eyes glazed over and I knew she was looking for something in the future.

"You might be right, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying to help you. Now go downstairs and have breakfast so we can leave. Edward will be back soon to leave. I forced him to go home and change while you were in the shower." I couldn't argue with Alice. Well, I could but there would be no point because she always wins anyway. I went downstairs and fried up some eggs. I was washing the dishes when two cold arms wrapped around my waste.

"Sorry about Alice. I couldn't stop her with the clothing." He spun me around and was now staring into my eyes with his beautiful golden eyes. I could tell he recently hunted so that he would be alright for the trip. "Are you ready to leave?" I smiled.

"I'm excited to see Renee, but I still don't like being away from you for a whole week." He smiled back and I knew that he agreed.

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	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

Alice drove to the airport while Edward and I sat together in the back of his Volvo. When we got to the airport, Alice checked everyone's bags at the curb so all I had to carry was my backpack that had everything I needed for the flight.. Edward took my bag and insisted on carrying it for me. As we walked into the airport I looked up at the screen to see what time our flights were. I couldn't help but notice that there were no flights departing to New York. Edward must have sensed my confusion.

"I have a surprise for you Bella. Alice and I are going to fly to Jacksonville with you and then connect to New York. I know how much you hate flying alone." I just smiled at Edward's surprise. I needed to figure out if there was more to this surprise.

"Does that mean you'll stay in Jacksonville long enough to say hi to Renee?" He let go of my hand and put his arm around my waist.

"Actually Bella we won't be leaving the airport. Our connection time is only a half hour." That answered that question. "I just wanted to spend extra time with you. I do have another surprise for you though. I was going to wait until we landed but since you brought up Renee." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black credit card.

"What is that Edward? And why does it have my name on it?" I think I was going into shock. Edward knows I hate when he gives me gifts but I think this is worse.

"First of all love, we've had this discussion already. You're going to be my wife soon so what's mine is yours. Second, I want you to treat Renee and Phil this week. On me." I was still shocked. "Bella, you don't have to use it if you don't want to. But please take it. It will make me feel better while I'm so far from you." I took the black card out of Edward's hand and just looked at it. I really didn't need a credit card.

"Don't you dare Bella." Alice pulled my out of my thoughts. What had I decided to do? "If you cut that card up I'll have a new one in your hand before the blades even close." My jaw just dropped open in shock.

"Alice, I wasn't-" She stopped me and her eyes glazed over with another vision.

"Now you won't. Bella you have to face it. You're going to be a Cullen soon. Stop worrying so much about money." She started to skip off ahead of me and Edward. I stuck my tongue out at her and although she didn't turn around, I heard her giggling as she turned the corner towards the metal detectors.

"Just hold on to it. For me?" Edward said as we got on the security line behind Alice. "I'll feel better knowing you have it. And please treat your mother." I knew he wouldn't give up until I agreed. Sometimes he was just as stubborn as Alice.

"If it makes you happy, I'll take Renee and Phil to dinner. But I'm not going to spend a lot of money." He smiled and put his jacket on the conveyor belt before walking through the metal detector. I followed and noticed that Edward was having one his silent discussions with Alice when I rejoined them past security. "What are you two discussing?" I eyed them suspiciously.

"Alice just saw that our New York flight is going to be delayed because of a problem with the plane's bathroom. It's going to take them two hours to fix it before we can take off." What kind of problem would the bathroom cause that could keep a flight from taking off? As usual, Edward could sense my confusion. "It's FAA regulations for public planes to have working bathrooms. It's a public health issue." I guess that makes sense.

Edward led me into the first class lounge and we waited until it was time to board our flight. Alice couldn't stop jumping up and down with excitement for her shopping. "You promise she won't go overboard?" Edward just smiled and pulled me in closer to him. A waitress walked by and Edward ordered me a burger and coke.

"I know you hate the food on the plane, so you should have lunch before we take off." I smiled and laid my head on his chest. "And I promise to keep Alice calm. Even if she does go overboard, I'll make sure it's all returned or canceled before you get home."

"No you won't." Alice sung from behind her computer. I knew there was no point in arguing. I knew Edward would try his hardest to wrangle Alice while in New York.

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	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I'm not sure if I'll ever get use to first class. I was sitting next to Edward with his arms around me and my head on his shoulder. I was really impressed with the movie selections on the flight. Edward and I were watching a new movie that just came out in theaters the week before.

"Bella, you should really take a nap. You woke up early this morning and Renee is going to want to go out as soon as you get your bags in the house." Alice said sticking her head above our seats. I almost forgot that Alice was with us on the flight because she was being quiet for once. I got up and leaned over the chair only to see that Alice had been keeping herself busy with flower arrangements.

"Alice. Can't you stop for a minute?" She just stuck her tongue out at me so I sat back down. While my back was turned Edward and pulled out a pillow and blanket for me. "I don't need to sleep right now. I'm going to spend a week away from you and I don't want to waste our last few hours together until next week." Edward covered me with the blanket and put his arm around me.

"Bella it's just a week. Why don't you take this." He handed me his cell phone. "You can call me any time day or night."

"Edward how can I call you if I have your phone?" I heard Alice laugh behind us, but I was too comfortable to get up again.

"That's your phone my love. Mine is in my pocket." My phone? "This way we can stay in touch. Honestly I'm surprised you never got one before. They're very handy." I was just staring at the phone in my hand.

"I don't have a cell phone because I don't need a cell phone. We live in a very small town. I can't get in much trouble in Forks." Even I had to laugh at that one. Me staying out of trouble in Forks is like saying the sun shined everyday in Forks. "I'll take it for the week, but I'm giving it back to you when we're back in Forks. I really don't need a phone Edward." He just gave me his crocked smile and I knew that this argument would continue when I tried to return the phone in a week.

"So Bella," Alice said popping above us again. "Would you prefer vanilla or chocolate for the wedding cake?" Amazing how quickly Alice can change the subject. "Nevermind the chocolate cake doesn't match the colors." I never knew the cake itself needed to match. Isn't that what the frosting is for?

"Ah ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are preparing to make our final descent into Jacksonville International Airport. The weather is currently 75 degrees with a slight overcast. At this time we ask that all electronics are turned off and your seats are returned to their upright position. The flight attendants will be around to collect any trash you have at your seats. As always we know you have a choice when flying so thank you for flying with us." As Edward and I lifted our chairs back up Edward passed my Coke cans to the flight attendant.

When the plane landed Edward and Alice came out with me to baggage claim. Their flight to New York was now delayed five hours because of the issue with the bathroom.

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	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

As we walked towards Renee, I could see a confused look on her face. Edward decided to break the ice and say hello.

"Good afternoon Renee. I hope you and Bella have fun this week together. Alice and I are connecting to New York do to some shopping but our second flight was delayed so we decided to come out with Bella and say hello." Renee's confused look slowly faded as she realized that Edward and Alice were not staying.

"It's nice to see you again Edward. And Alice, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Phil and I are looking forward to coming to Forks next month for the wedding." Renee was looking around the crowd. I couldn't figure out what she was looking for until I saw Phil pushing an empty cart through the crowd.

"I can't wait for the wedding. Edward and I are actually heading to New York to pick up a few items for the wedding. I was going to go alone but Bella insisted that Edward came to make sure that she would approve my purchases." Edward and I both gave Alice a look. "Bella I promised you I wouldn't go overboard but I need to get suits for the ushers and the designer I'm using is in New York. You know I won't let Emmett and Jasper wear tuxes off the rack." I just shook my head and turned to Renee.

"Mom, I can't wait to spend the week with you." While Renee and I were talking Edward pulled my bags off the conveyor belt. I noticed Alice's eyes glaze over and I assumed it was more news about their flight.

"I just looked at the monitors and it seems like we should have no more delays. So our flight to New York will take off at eight." I quickly looked around and saw the monitors behind me. At least my mother wouldn't get suspicious of Alice's comment.

"You can't sit around the airport alone for four hours. Why doesn't Phil bring Bella's bags to the car and we can all grab something to eat before you leave." Edward looked towards Alice before responding.

"That would be wonderful Renee however Alice and I have one condition. We would like to treat." Leave it to Edward to find a way to pay for something.

"Edward we can't allow you to do that. Besides you're our guests and you're going to be our son soon. It would be my pleasure to treat you to dinner." Renee didn't know how futile her attempts to pay were. Edward would somehow win in the end. Alice excused herself from the group and walked over to a map of the airport. When she returned, she grinned at Edward. It was obvious to me that she was silently informing him of the restaurant choices.

"If I remember correctly from our last visit, there is a wonderful tavern before security that would be perfect for dinner." Renee nodded in approval of Edward's choice. She sent Phil a quick text so he would know where to meet us and we were off to Sam's Tavern on the concourse level. When we arrived I took a guess as to why Alice choice this restaurant.

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	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

Sam's Tavern had a dark atmosphere which would make it easier for them to hide the fact that they were not eating. Hanging on the walls around the restaurant were different golfing props and photographs of people playing golf.

"Five for dinner please." Edward handed the man a folded up piece of paper that I could only assume was cash. "Something private if possible." Renee looked dumbfounded.

"Edward you didn't have to tip the hostess for a good table. And please, dinner is my treat so put your wallet away." Renee would keep trying, but I knew Edward well enough to know how this would end up. I looked over to Alice and she nodded as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Renee. If Esme found out I did not treat you and Phil to dinner, she would be so disappointed. We were raised to be respectful and come with gifts. Since we weren't originally planning to leave the terminal we didn't pack anything for you. Please don't let me upset Esme with my horrid manners." To finish it off he gave Renee his crocked smile which normally makes me cave.

"Good evening. My name is Joseph and I will be your waiter this evening. I see that you are still waiting on one more member of your party. May I start you off with some drinks?" I ordered a Coke but Renee asked for just water. Edward lifted his eyes up from the menu.

"I will have a Coke for myself but I would like to order a bottle of Cabernet with two glasses." He pointed towards Renee and the empty chair. She looked at the waiter with surprised eyes. "Renee, please allow me to treat you right. In a short month you will be a second mother to me." Renee just smiled and nodded at the waiter who wrote down the order. "I would also like to order a spinach dip appetizer for the table please." Alice asked for a Coke and the waiter politely walked away to get the drinks.

As the waiter returned with our drink orders, Phil found his way to the table. "It's starting to rain out there. I hope your flight doesn't get pushed back any later." I turned towards Alice but she shook her head no.

"Don't worry Phil. It takes more than a little rain to delay a flight. I'm sure we won't be pushed back any later." Alice picked up her soda as she spoke and then put it back down.

The waiter returned with our appetizer and proceeded to take our dinner orders. Edward and Alice both ordered Filet Mignons in what I assumed was an attempt to convince Renee and Phil to order expensive entrees. I decided to order the salmon because I knew that I would end up eating part of Edward's steak anyway. Renee ordered the wild mushroom chicken and Phil settled on baby back ribs.

"So Phil, are you enjoying the off season? You had impressive stats this year." Edward said as he began to cut into his steak.

"You followed my stats?" Phil seemed surprised at Edward's comment.

"Only recently. I thought since we will be family soon I should pay attention. With what Bella knows about sports, you could be called up to the majors and she wouldn't know the difference." I chocked slightly on my Coke. "I'm just teasing Bella. I'm sure your mother would tell you if Phil was called up." I kicked his leg under the table but I doubt he felt it.

"I understand baseball Edward. I just don't pay attention to the stats. I enjoy watching the game. Besides I don't need to know that Phil is batting .457 to know that he's a great player. And I don't need to know that he batted in 68 runs this season to know that he's going to make it to the majors." I took a bit of my fish and watched as everyone at the table sat there stunned. I had looked up Phil's stats online before leaving Forks so that I would have something to talk to him about. I just hoped no one asked me what those numbers meant.

While everyone was finishing their meals Alice excused herself to check the departing monitors again. Upon returning she announced that the flight was still scheduled to take off at eight. I looked at my watch and it was 6:30.

"Would anyone like dessert?" Joseph asked as he began to clear the table. He offered Alice a to-go bag but she declined. Edward looked at Renee and Phil but they both shook their heads no while patting the stomachs.

"No thank you Joseph. Just the check please." Joseph walked away and returned with a black portfolio. He began to hand it to Phil, but Edward reached out and took it. He quickly opened it, placed a card inside, and handed it back to Joseph.

"Edward I really can't let you do that. This meal was awfully expensive." Renee tried again to reason with the seventeen year old in front of her.

"It is my pleasure to treat you Renee. You have blessed me with a beautiful daughter who agreed to marry me. I will never be able to repay you for that." Renee blushed but didn't say anything else. When Joseph returned, Edward signed the check and threw some cash in the portfolio before handing it back to Joseph. The five of us walked out of the restaurant with a hour until Edward and Alice's New York flight.

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	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Thank you so much for dinner Edward but next time you will let me treat." Renee said it more as a fact than a suggestion. "Phil and I will get the car and meet you out front Bella. That way you can say goodbye to Edward and Alice." She and Phil walked away. Alice gave me a big hug before making some excuse of duty free shopping even though she wasn't leaving the country. Edward and I were alone.

"Do you really have to go?" I asked with hopeful eyes. We'd been apart for more than a week before but it wasn't my favorite memories.

"Love, I could stay." I got excited for a moment. "What I mean is if you want me to stay I will. But then you can't complain when Alice turns our wedding into a circus." I knew he was right. Alice had already been taking too many liberties when it came to planning the wedding.

"I know you're right. How much time do we have before you need to meet Alice at the plane?" He glanced down quickly at his watch.

"About ten minutes." I looked down at the floor. He took my chin in his hand and lifted my face so I was looking in his eyes. "Since you haven't looked at your new phone yet I just want you to know that any number you might need is programmed in its memory. I also programmed it with special ringtones. We can always change them if you want." I still couldn't believe that he gave me a cell phone. "Alice put the charger in your backpack so you're all set." He kissed my forehead before continuing. "Before I leave, I need you to promise me one thing Bella. Please stay safe. It's going to be very difficult to be away from you for a week."

"Edward, I promise to stay as safe as I can." Even I knew that didn't mean much. "I am perfectly safe in Jacksonville. Nothing will happen and I will see you in a week." He pulled me in closer and we kissed for a while. Suddenly I heard the sound of an annoying pixie clearing her throat.

"We have to go Edward. Otherwise we're going to be stuck behind a family with three small children at the security check point." Edward gave me a final kiss and Alice hugged me before the two of them walked off to towards the security check.

I walked outside to see Renee waving to me from a small green sedan. I quickly ran through the rain and got in the back seat. As Phil drove off Renee decided to question me about Edward and the Cullen's.

"Bella, why did Edward insist on taking us to the most expensive restaurant at the airport? We would have been perfectly happy with Burger King." Phil just grunted. I'm not sure if he agreed with Renee or wanted her to stop.

"That's just who Edward is mom. Carlisle and Esme have raised their kids to be giving. It's just who he is." I hoped that would answer her question without more, but I was wrong.

"And his sister Alice. Is she always so hyper?" That was one way to describe her.

"Alice is just excited about New York. I'm hoping that she was just using the wedding as an excuse to go because it's fashion week or something. I kind of zone out when she starts talking shades of blue." Renee laughed at my comment.

"You never were one for fashion." I smiled but she was facing forward in the car so she didn't notice. "I will say Bella you and Edward are definitely in love. Watching you two at dinner reminded me of old television sitcoms. The way you were finishing each other's sentences and tasting each other's meals; I'm proud of you sweetie. It's like you were made for each other." With that the conversation was over and we drove in silence the rest of the way to Renee's house.

After Phil helped bring my bags up to the guest room, I said good night and went upstairs to change into my pajamas. It had been a long day and I was sure Renee was planning to keep me busy this week. I looked at my new phone and saw that Edward had sent me a text message. _Sleep tight my love. If you can't sleep just turn on ringtone four. I will see you in six days, twenty-two hours, and thirty-four minutes._ Sure, but who's counting. My curiosity got to me so I went into the phone's memory and clicked ringtone four. Immediately the room filled with the beautiful sound of my lullaby. I drifted off to sleep, dreaming about Edward the entire night.

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	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I woke in the early morning as the sun shined through the curtains on the window. It was a strange feeling not having Edward by my side but I knew it was only for a few days. Suddenly I jumped.

"Good morning Bella!" Edward? "Good morning Bella!" I looked over to the nightstand and saw the screen of my new cell phone lighting up. Edward programmed his voice as the ringtone. I opened the phone and held it up to my ear.

"Edward?" I heard a quiet chuckle from through the ear piece.

"Good morning love. Did you sleep well?"

"It was too warm without your arms around me. But my lullaby helped. Thank you for that."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. My night was rather boring without your sleep talking to listen to. Alice spent the entire night discussing place settings." I laughed. At least she wasn't annoying me about them. "I've already convinced her that seven plates per person was overdoing it, but she's still convinced each person needs four forks."

"Bella? Are you awake? I'm making french toast." I could hear my mother yelling from downstairs. She must have heard me speaking.

"Don't worry love, you go have breakfast with your mother." Of course he heard her yell through the phone. "I'll hide Alice's credit cards. Call me later. I love you."

"I love you too Edward." I hung up the phone and yelled down to Renee. "I'm just hoping in the shower mom. I'll be down in a few minutes." I walked into the bathroom and got myself ready for the day. When I walked downstairs, Renee had a pile of french toast in the center of the table surrounded by fresh fruit. "Mom, isn't this a little much?"

"Bella I never see you anymore. Can't I spoil you while you're here?" I smiled and sat down at the table. Renee had a point. And although she didn't know it, she would never see me again after the wedding. Just a phone call or email if I could.

"You're right mom. But you don't need to go overboard. I'm just happy to be here." She smiled and pulled up a chair. After taking a few bites of her breakfast she started talking.

"So what would you like to do today?" She took another bite. "I'd offer to take you shopping, but I know how you feel about that. Would you like to go down to the beach? I'm sure you can use some color. Or maybe we can go downtown. They're having an Andy Warhol exhibit at the art museum." She just kept naming everything we could do.

"Mom, relax. We have the whole week. I don't care what we do. I'm just happy to be spending time with you." We finished breakfast and I helped Renee clean up. After, we walked outside to sit on the deck while we decided how to spend the day.

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	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

Renee and I finally decided to start our day just touring the city. We figured that we could just play it by ear and see where the day took us. Renee parked the car downtown and we took off on foot. It felt strange being in sunny Florida. We walked along the boardwalk and laughed.

"So are you excited for the wedding Bella? It seems like Alice has taken over everything." That's Renee, straight to the point as usual.

"Honestly mom, if it were up to me we'd just elope in Las Vegas. You know that I don't like to draw attention to myself."

"Then why are you allowing Alice to plan such an extravagant reception? Do what makes you happy." I suddenly felt something in my pocket vibrate and I remembered that I had the phone. I opened it up and saw that I had a new text message from Alice. _Bella if you love me, you won't listen to your mother._

"Mom. I am happy. If I wanted to get on the next plane to Vegas, Edward would already have purchased the tickets." I smiled at the thought because I knew it was true. "But the wedding is about more than just me and Edward. Dad should have the experience of walking me down the aisle. I want you there sitting in the front row. And if it makes Alice happy to plan parties why not let her have fun too." That should be enough for Renee.

"Well what does Edward think about all of this?" She wasn't going to drop the topic.

"Edward just wants me to be happy. But I know deep down that he wants a real wedding." I decided to try and change the topic. "Can we go into Barnes and Noble? I need to grab a new copy of Wuthering Heights." That should do it. Renee felt the same way about Wuthering Heights that Edward did.

"Wuthering Heights? How many times have you read that already? Maybe we can find you something new to read." At least I changed the subject. We walked into Barnes and Noble and split up to walk around.

When we met back up I had a copy of Wuthering Heights and another book called Beach Shorts which was full of short stories to enjoy at the beach. At least that's what the back cover stated. Renee also had a few books in her hand.

"Mom what are you buying?" I looked at the pile in Renee's had and got a little worried. She's always loved trashy romance novels but it seems she was still in her science fiction phase. The top book in her pile had a picture of a werewolf on the cover.

"It sounds interesting. It's about a werewolf that falls in love with a girl from the local town but he doesn't know how to tell her the truth about himself." I coughed at the description. Lucky Renee didn't notice. "And this book is about a scientist living on the first Mars colony when he meets and falls for a real Martian." At least that one didn't seem realistic. "What are you buying?" I help up the new copy of Wuthering Heights and she nodded.

"This one looked like it would be good since we're planning to sit on the beach while I'm here." She took Beach Shorts out of my hand and looked at the back cover.

"You're right, it does look good. Maybe if you finish reading it I can keep it." I nodded and we walked up to the register. After leaving the bookstore, Renee and I went into a small bistro for lunch before heading back to the house.

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	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

When we got home Phil was sitting on the couch watching baseball on his laptop. I could tell by the jerseys that it was his team.

"Did you two have fun today?" Phil didn't even look up from the screen as he greeted us. Renee sat down next to him and I headed upstairs to call Edward. The phone didn't even have the chance to ring a single full ring before I heard his lyrical voice.

"Bella, love. Are you having fun with your mother?" I sat down on the bed. His voice made me melt even when he was so far away.

"Yes, but I miss you. We stopped at a book store today so I could replace my Wuthering Heights since _someone_ ripped my copy in half. Oh. And thank Alice for her text earlier. Tell her I promised she could throw me a wedding and I won't back out of my promise." He laughed.

"Bella, I would be just as happy going through a drive through chapel in Vegas while wearing old sweats. As long as you're happy I'll deal with Alice after." Suddenly I heard a loud clang. "Ouch Alice." I could hear the phone exchanging hands and suddenly it was Alice's voice on the other end.

"Bella if you elope I will never forgive you. Trust me Bella. You will love this wedding and I promise that Renee will also." What did Alice see that makes her think Renee wouldn't like the wedding?

"Two things Alice. One, what did you do to Edward that caused him to go ouch. You'd better be nice to him or I will elope. Second, Renee has been supportive about us getting married. So what was with the text earlier and your comment just now?" I wanted answers.

"I smacked Edward in the head for offering to elope even though he knows you already agreed to a real wedding." That explains the clang I heard. "As for Renee," She sounded like she was choosing her words carefully. "Renee is concerned about the amount of money we are spending on the wedding. Until we were at the airport, she didn't realize how much money we were putting into the wedding. Plus our trip to New York with a stopover in Jacksonville; and Edward insisting on paying for dinner. Renee is just concerned."

"So basically my mother is acting just like I do when the two of you insist on spending so much money and offering me things like cars and cell phones?" I heard Edward laugh and ask for the phone back. I was happy to hear his voice again.

"Yes love. When it comes to our money, you definitely take after Renee. She's just as stubborn as you when it comes to gifts." Now I was the one laughing.

"Tell Alice that I already explained my reasoning for the wedding to Renee and I have no plans on changing my mind. As for your family's-" he cut me off.

"_Our_ family Bella." He seemed to emphasize the word our. "You know that even though we're not married yet that you are just as much a member of this family." I was speechless. I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Edward. I doubt I'll ever get use to all of your money." He coughed to correct me. "Fine. I doubt I'll ever get use to all of-" I hesitated. "our money." He chuckled.

"See. That wasn't so hard. And you can use that card I gave you for anything you want. You could have used it to pay for your books earlier. Honestly Bella. You're going to have to get over this aversion to money sometime because it's not going anywhere. If anything with what Alice saw earlier today when we passed through Wall Street it's about to double, if not triple before the wedding." I decided to change the topic before I had a panic attack sitting alone in the guest room.

"So did you talk Alice out of overdoing the place settings? Or are our guests going to have twenty forks?"

"It was only four forks and I talked her down to two." Two sounded reasonable. Most restaurants put two forks at the table. "Now I just have to talk her out of hiring the band she made me listen to today?" What could be wrong with a band? Actually the more I was thinking about it I realized the answer to that. Why would Alice be hiring a band in New York when the wedding was going to be in Washington.

"Why was Alice listening to bands in New York?" Alice must have grabbed the phone back from Edward because she responded.

"Bella. Don't you want everyone to remember the reception? It would be wonderful to have John Mayer sing for your first dance."

"Alice, I'm putting my foot down. No way. Not a chance. Never going to happen." Renee must have heard me because she knocked at the door. "Hang on Alice. Come on in mom." The door opened and she walked in.

"Bella, Phil would like to know if a barbecue sounds good for dinner. He's going to run out to the grocery store to grab some franks and burgers."

"Sure mom. Sounds great." I put the phone back up to my ear. "Alice I need to get going. May I please say goodbye to Edward?" She passed the phone back to Edward.

"I love you Bella and I'll see you soon."

"I love you too Edward. And tell Alice that no is my final answer. We can find a band in Washington." I hung up the phone and walked downstairs to see if Renee needed help preparing for dinner.

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	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Not a problem." Renee was on the phone when I came down the stairs. "I'm sure Bella won't mind." She paused. "You'll need to buy paper plates and stuff." Another pause. "No, we should have enough beer in the basement." It sounded to me like Phil decided to have a party. "Just buy what you want. Bella and I will eat anything. I love you." She hung up the phone and finally noticed I was standing next to her. "Oh!" I guess I surprised her. "Bella, I hope you don't mind but Phil invited the team over for the barbecue. He thought it would be fun for you to meet everyone."

"Sounds like fun mom. I'd love to meet Phil's team. Maybe they can teach me something about baseball since the Cullen's love to play." What was I suppose to say to her? No mom, I hate being the center of attention. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Bella, you're a guest in our house. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the party." At this point she was searching the kitchen to get ready. So far she had taken out the tools for the grill and a large metal tray that looked like it was used to carry stuff from the kitchen to the yard.

"Really mom, I don't mind helping. I feel funny just sitting here and doing nothing while you're getting ready for Phil's team to come over." In all honestly I just didn't want her to find a reason to bring the wedding up again.

"If you really want to help," She looked like she was trying to figure out what I could do. "Would you mind straightening up the living room? Just bring Phil's computer up to the office and put any of the papers in the basket behind the couch." Sounds easy enough. I cleared all of the papers off of the table and laid them neatly in the basket that was behind the couch. He seemed to be combing the sports' section of a bunch of newspapers looking for something. I then unplugged his computer and headed upstairs to the home office in the third bedroom.

I had never actually been in their office before. When I walked in I quickly noticed two things. One they had lots of knickknacks from all the places they've traveled for Phil's baseball games. Two, there were a lot of pictures showing the two of them smiling and holding each other while posing. I was glad to know my mom finally found someone that could make her happy. It gave me a strange feeling of closure knowing that she had Phil when I was gone. I put Phil's computer on the desk and I closed the door behind me as I headed back down the stairs.

"What else can I do mom? The living room is clean." She was still scrambling around the kitchen looking for stuff.

"Well, Phil went over to Sam's Club to buy everything we need. If you want, you can start grabbing chairs from the garage and setting them up in the back. Hopefully we have enough." I started heading towards the garage.

"No problem mom." When I walked into the garage it was easy to see that Renee and Phil never bothered to organize it. Everything was just thrown around. I spent a good ten minutes moving stuff out of my way just searching for any sign of chairs. I finally spotted the chairs and started climbing over boxes to reach them. As I started climbing up a pile of boxes to reach the chairs, I suddenly lost my footing and slipped. As I fell, I landed in a pair of cold arms.

"Geez Bella, can't you survive one week on your own?" I looked up to see Emmett's face grinning back at me.

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	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Emmett?" Did I bump my head when I fell? No. If I did I would be seeing Edward, not Emmett.

"What's up little sis?" I'm not hallucinating. He really is here for some reason.

"What are you doing in Jacksonville? In Renee's garage?" My head was spinning. There had to be a reason why Emmett was here. If Alice had seen something wouldn't Edward have come rushing to Florida?

"You need to relax Bella. Not everything is a conspiracy." That didn't answer my question.

"With your family?" I tried to stare him down. "Why are you here? And no changing the subject." I doubt I'll get the truth but I had to try.

"I just went for a run and somehow ended up here. Honestly Bella. Until I smelt you I didn't even realize I was in Florida." Like I was going to believe that. He ran all the way from Washington to Florida without realizing it?

"You went for a run and somehow found yourself in the farthest state from your starting point? Seriously Emmett." How could I word this so he knew I wasn't going to back down. "I want to know why you're here. Not only in Florida, but in Renee's house." Emmett put me down and pulled his fingers through his hair.

"Alright. I got in a fight with Rosalie and decided to run it off since I knew she wasn't going to-" He stopped. If Rosalie was withholding sex he must have done something really stupid. "I guess I just zoned out. When I smelt you I couldn't figure out where I was so I just followed the scent. As you came into view I saw the box under you collapsing." I looked next to me and now saw that I hadn't lost my footing but that the cardboard I was standing on couldn't support the weight.

"So this is completely random?" He nodded. "If I call Edward he'll have no idea that you're here?" He was hesitating again.

"Well. By this point Alice has probably seen me here. Although if she did, I'm sure Edward would have already called to warn you I was coming." I patted my pocket but realized I left the phone upstairs. "Actually Bella if Alice had seen me here, I'm sure Edward would have called me to stop me from intruding on your time with your mother." I'm really not going to get the truth am I?

"Emmett. Thank you for catching me but go home. I'm sure whatever happened, Rosalie has forgiven you by now." I was not going to give him a reason to stay.

"Alright. But since I'm already here let me help you with those chairs. I don't need to get home and makeup with Rose just to have Edward pissed at me for letting you get hurt climbing on boxes again." He did have a point.

"Fine. But please don't let Renee see you. She's already been surprised by Alice and Edward yesterday at the airport." Emmett laughed and held up his hand.

"Scout's honor. So where do the chairs go?"

"In the backyard. Phil's team is coming over tonight for a barbecue." He nodded and picked up the entire pile of chairs in one hand. He was gone and back before I even had a chance to blink.

"I left them next to the side of the house. You'll have to carry them the rest of the way because Renee keeps looking out the window and I promised you she wouldn't see me."

"Thanks Emmett." I gave him a big hug and he gently patted my back. "Now go home. I'm sure Rosalie misses you." He smiled and was gone in an instant. I started walking towards the side of the house and finished bringing the chairs into the backyard. When I finished, I walked into the house and went upstairs to grab the phone. Edward and I needed to talk.

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	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I walked back into the kitchen on my way upstairs and saw that Phil had gotten home. He and Renee were working on preparing the food.

"Mom, I finished setting up the backyard. I'm going to go shower and get ready to meet everyone. This humidity is awful." Renee laughed.

"You get use to it Bella. Take your time upstairs. The guys aren't coming until six." Six. That gave me two hours. More than enough time to call Edward and find out why Emmett just happened to be in the neighborhood. As I closed the bedroom door I started dialing Edward's number.

"Yes love?" I almost forgot why I was calling. "Are you having fun?"

"I was having fun until Emmett showed up out of the blue." Straight to the point.

"Emmett?" He sounded confused but I knew better than to believe his acting skills. I wasn't going to let him dazzle me this time.

"Yes Emmett."

"Are you sure Bella? Emmett is in Forks. Why would he be all the way in Florida?" He really wasn't going to admit to sending Emmett to babysit me.

" He somehow appeared right as I tripped so he could catch me. Then he carried everything out so that I wouldn't have to before leaving."

"You didn't trip Bella. You fell because you were climbing on cardboard boxes." So he knew exactly what I was talking.

"So you did send him to babysit me? Edward I'm perfectly safe. I know I'm a bit of a klutz but nothing bad is going to happen this week." I would just have to convince him that everything was fine. I didn't want Emmett hanging around all week.

"I didn't send Emmett to Florida. Alice and I were just as surprised as you when she had that vision." He really wasn't going to cave. He wanted me to believe that Emmett really was just randomly there.

"So you really expect me to believe that Emmett just randomly showed up in Renee's garage right as I fell from the box? And you had nothing to do with him being here? That he really just randomly started running and ended up in Florida?" I could keep going on but as I stopped to take a breath Edward cut in.

"Calm down Bella. Not everything is a conspiracy." Isn't that what Emmett said? "I did not send Emmett to Florida."

"Alice?" If Edward wasn't responsible for it, there was one other Cullen that went overboard.

"If I had heard something in her thoughts I would have stopped it and you know that." As much as I wanted to believe him the evidence was too strong. "If it will make you feel better, I'll ask Alice later."

"That would make me feel better. I can't help but feel a little paranoid sometimes Edward. With everything that's happened recently I guess I'm just a little jumpy." He laughed. "I don't find any of this funny Edward." He stopped laughing.

"I'm not laughing at you Bella. I'm sitting in Grand Central Station waiting for Alice and the strangest thing is going on." Why is he waiting for Alice? "This group from an acting school is working on their improv. The all just froze in place around the building. All the different thoughts here are just really funny to listen to. The actors are reminding themselves to breathe slowly and hold the pose while the people walking through the terminal are trying to figure out what's going on." That does sound funny.

"Why are you waiting for Alice? Where is she?" I wasn't worried about Alice's safety, but I was worried about my wedding. The whole reason Edward went with Alice to New York was to make sure she didn't go overboard.

"She wanted to pick something up for your dress so she wouldn't let me go with her. Last thing I heard in her mind as she got in the cab was the wedding march being hummed." Maybe I should call Alice when I hang up with Edward. No, I think I'm better off not knowing what she's buying. "I'm just hanging out until she's done."

"I think maybe I'm better off not knowing what she's getting. Do you promise to ask her about Emmett?"

"Yes, Bella. Although I really don't think she had anything to do with it. Emmett is-" he paused. I think he was trying to choose his words carefully. "Well, Emmett is Emmett. He's always doing random stuff that no one understands. Honestly, it's easier to just go with it than to try and figure him out." I guess Edward had a point.

"And you promise that there is no conspiracy? Or danger to me lurking around the corner?"

"You have nothing to worry about Bella. Nothing will happen. Now go enjoy your barbecue with Renee. Call me after if you want. I don't want to call you in case you are sleeping."

"You can call me any time you want Edward. Even if I were sleeping, I would wake just to hear your voice. I love you."

"I love you too Bella. Now go have fun with your mother. I'll talk to you later." We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, I headed back downstairs. A few people had already arrived and I could tell that they were all too preoccupied with their discussion about baseball to really notice me. I was thankful that I wouldn't end up the center of attention like I thought I would. Hopefully the evening would go fast.

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	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

The last guest finally left around four in the morning. I had gone upstairs at about two but there was too much noise under the window for me to fall asleep. Lying in bed, I thought about how happy Renee was playing homemaker this evening. She introduced me to the other team wives and they all seemed to get along well.

I must have finally drifted off to sleep because I woke up to the smell of bacon coming from downstairs. I thought about calling Edward but I decided to eat breakfast first. I'd call him later while Renee and I were sitting on the beach.

After a quick shower, I walked downstairs. Renee and Phil were sitting at the kitchen table.

"Did you have fun last night honey?" Renee asked as she pointed to a plate on the counter with scrambled eggs and bacon.

"It was great mom. I'm glad you have such good friends here." She smiled. "So what are the plans for today?" I asked as a grabbed the pepper shaker.

"Well, I thought we would just relax at the beach. Phil already put the chairs and umbrella in the car for us." I smiled.

"That sounds great mom. I'm actually looking forward to sitting on the beach and reading my new book. Besides, maybe I'll get some real color so Alice doesn't spray me with that fake stuff for the wedding." I laughed at the thought. Alice actually had a spray tan system in her bathroom that she and Rosalie used once in a while.

"We'll go as soon as you're ready. Take your time." I went back upstairs and put my sunscreen on. When I reached into the suitcase for my bathing suit I quickly remembered that Alice had repacked for me before we left Forks. Instead of my simple black tankini, I found a small blue bikini that had less material than a handkerchief. I dug deeper but unfortunately there were no other bathing suits to be found. I put the bikini on and was happy to see that Alice also packed me a yellow wrap that perfectly complemented the blue. I continued to dig through my suitcase until I found a pair of blue sandals with yellow accents. I pulled my jeans over the suit so that I at least wouldn't have to sit in the car wearing such a small amount of fabric. When I walked back downstairs, Renee's reaction to my outfit just make my cheeks turn ten different shades of red.

"Bella! I've never seen you wear a bikini before. You look really good." Really good? What kind of response is that for a parent?

"Thanks mom. Alice picked it out. She considers herself a fashion expert and loves shopping." Oops, I was trying to avoid the mention of shopping or anything that reminded Renee about the Cullen's money.

"I noticed that she likes to shop. When we were at dinner I could have sworn she came back with a shopping bag when she went out to check the flight status." I must have missed that but I know she was shopping while Edward and I were having our private goodbye. "It's nice of Carlisle to share his good fortune with them, but I hope Edward and you aren't planning to live off of his money." Great, she was going to start that discussion again.

"First of all mom, Edward is planning to attend medical school" again "and he has no plans on living off of Carlisle." Hopefully that will be enough of an answer.

"Medical school? So he's going to be in school for a while. What are you going to do during that time?" Avoid all human contact while I grow out of the newborn stage.

"I haven't quite decided yet, but I think I will get my master's in conservative literature. Maybe I'll work for a publishing company." Hopefully Alice didn't just see me say that. Edward might go out and buy a publishing company while he's in New York. "Whatever we decide to do, we will be happy."

"I know you will be happy Bella, but what I'm trying to say is that Carlisle and Esme are not going to support Edward forever. And you know that your father and I don't have much money to give you. The two of you need to have a plan to pay for everything." She's not going to drop this. I need to think quickly. I felt the phone vibrate in my pocket so I took it out to look at the screen. _Tell your mother that Edward has an inheritance from his birth parents. – Alice_. So Alice had been watching this discussion unfold.

"I know you're worried mom, but you really don't have to me. Edward has money of his own. He's not relying on Carlisle."

"Edward is an eighteen year old orphan. How does he have money of his own?"

"Edward wasn't abandoned, his parents died. He has an inheritance from them." Maybe this would stop her worrying.

"Inheritance? He expects the two of you to live off the money of his dead parents?" I thought Alice said this would work.

"Of course not mom. However that money will pay for his education and he already bought a house near Dartmouth for us." Maybe I can get her to drop this topic. "So are you ready to go to the beach?"

"He bought a house?" I have a feeling this discussion would go on forever at this point. Then I got another text. _Ask about the beach again. She'll stop asking about money_.

"Mom. The beach?"

"Huh? Yea, sure sweetie. Let's go." With that we walked out of the house and hopped in the car for the five minute drive to the beach.

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	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

The drive included an awkward silence as Renee tried to digest the information I had just fed her. I was looking at the phone's screen hoping that Alice would tell me everything would be alright.

"Bella will you carry the cooler and I'll get the chairs?" Renee's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Sure mom. No problem." I lifted the cooler out of the back seat and pulled the handle up so I could wheel it across the beach. Phil and packed us a few sodas and leftover food from the barbecue. We found a good location and set up the chairs and stuff.

"I'll be right back mom. I'm going to use the ladies' room up on the boardwalk." She smiled and took out her book as she sat down. I walked up to the boardwalk and took out the phone. As I was about to dial Edward, I heard my name called from the shadows.

"Bella, I need to speak with you. Please come over here." I looked towards the voice and saw Emmett standing there. What was he still doing here? Now I was really getting angry.

"Emmett! I thought you went home. What are you doing here?" I lowered my voice for the next part knowing that he'd still hear me. "The sun is out and there aren't many shaded places here for you." He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the shadow between the two bathrooms.

"Bella you need to make some kind of excuse to leave the beach." I was not going to let him say anything else until I knew exactly what was going on.

"Emmett Cullen. You are going to tell me what is going on right now. First you show up claiming that it was random. Then Edward claims he was shocked when Alice had the vision of you catching me. Now you're hiding in the shadows telling me to leave the sunny beach. I am not going anywhere until someone tells me exactly what is going on." Emmett sighed and took the phone out of my hand. He hit the speed dial.

"She saw me." Alice or Edward? "I was hiding in the shadows near the bathrooms." I still couldn't figure out who was on the other end of the conversation. "You can talk to her. I still don't even know why exactly I'm here." A few more seconds passed and he handed me the phone. "Alice wants to talk to you." Alice?

"Alice? I want answers and I want them now. What is going on?"

"Relax Bella. Emmett's just watching out for you. I told him to stay away unless you needed him. He's just not very good at hiding." Emmett growled. Obviously he could hear everything Alice was saying.

"Why did you send him here in the first place? What did you see Alice? I think I deserve to know if my life is in danger. Again." Emmett started to laugh, but he stopped when he saw that I was glaring at him.

"Fine Bella, but you have to promise not to overreact. And you can't say anything to Edward. I've been trying very hard to keep him out of my head so that he wouldn't ruin our trip worrying about you." So Edward was telling me the truth when he claimed not to know about Emmett's sudden trip to Florida.

"I won't overreact. But I want to know what's going on Alice. I'm serious."

"Sometime tomorrow you just disappear. I'm not sure what's going to happen but it's actually similar to-" she hesitated. Never a good sign. "Well, it's similar to that day I saw you jumping from the cliff." I can see why she hesitated. None of us liked to remember what Edward and I refer to as the dark times. "When that dog blocked my vision of you. This time I didn't see you jump or fall or anything. Just disappear. I knew if I told Edward he would have insisted on flying back to Jacksonville on the next plane to be there for you. I asked Emmett to keep an eye out because I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to you." At least now I was getting the truth, even if it meant I was about to disappear.

"Alice, I wish you would have just told me the truth right away. I appreciate you trying to protect me, but I don't like being lied to or spied on." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Alice?"

"I'm sorry Bella. I really thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you. I didn't want to worry you over something that might be nothing." Another moment of silence from the other end. "Bella, the vision just changed. You and Emmett are both about to disappear." Emmett heard her because he suddenly crouched into a defensive position and pushed me behind him so that I was boxed between him and the bathrooms.

"At ease bloodsucker. I just came to talk." Jacob?

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	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Jacob?" I could hear Alice's voice still on the other end of the phone call but I was in shock at the sight of my best friend standing in front of me in a wetsuit. Emmett was still in his defensive crouch between me and Jacob.

"Jacob? What are you doing here? Where have you been?" I put my hand on Emmett's shoulder as I asked. Emmett got the message because he straightened up. He still didn't let Jacob get closer to me. Last time anyone had heard from Jacob, he was in wolf form somewhere in Canada.

"I just came to the east coast to surf the Atlantic." He just randomly came to the same beach as me? That was harder to believe than Emmett running from Forks to Jacksonville because he didn't realize how far he had run. I realized Alice was still on the phone.

"Alice, I'll call you back as soon as I figure out what's going on. I promise everything is fine." I hung up the phone and turned to Jacob. I had to look under Emmett's arm because he still wouldn't move from his position between us. "Jacob. If I was actually going to believe that you wanted to surf the Atlantic, do you expect me to believe that you randomly picked Jacksonville when I was coming to visit Renee? And furthermore, is it just a coincidence that you came to the beach on the same day as us?" He smiled.

"Sure sure Bella. And you're going to tell me that this bloodsucker is here because he wants a tan." Emmett growled and I smacked his shoulder. I think I caused more pain in my hand than in his shoulder though. "You're right, I knew you were going to be here and I was hoping to talk to you. As much as I try to ignore all the voices in my head, I heard a replay of Seth's discussion with Edward about the upcoming trip before the wedding. Next thing I knew I was running south."

"Jacob I'm really glad you're here but why? You know that I'm not going to change my mind. I love Edward." His smile faded.

"But you love me too. Just come for a walk with me." He looked towards Emmett. "If your bodyguard will let you of course." I got very angry at him all of a sudden.

"Why don't you go surf? I'll come find you later." I wasn't just going to leave Emmett standing in the shadows. And if I was going to being honest with myself; as mad as I was with Alice and Emmett for lying to me I was madder at Jacob. I was mad that he left. Mad that he came back when he knew Edward wasn't going to be around. And just mad in general that he still had his own agenda when it came to my happiness.

"Enjoy the shadows than. I'll see you later." He huffed and walked off towards the beach. "Hopefully." I heard him grunt the last word as he disappeared from sight. I looked over at Emmett who seemed to have relaxed his stance for the first time since Jacob appeared.

"I'm really sorry Bella. I was just trying to keep you safe." He showed a careful smile as if trying to judge my emotions.

"I know Emmett. I'm not mad at you. I'm just aggravated at the entire situation. I'd better call Alice back before she goes crazy." He nodded and I hit redial. The phone hadn't even rang when I heard a voice on the other end.

"Is he gone? What happened? I still can't see you past tomorrow." I guess I was going to speak with him then.

"Everything is fine Alice. He just wants to talk and I'm going to let him." I think. "Later though. I'm too angry right now to listen clearly." That part was the truth.

"Is Emmett still there? If you go talk with the dog, take Emmett with you." Emmett nodded in agreement but I knew this was something I would have to do alone.

"No." I said to both of them. "Jacob would never hurt me and he deserves to talk to me openly without worrying about his words." At least I think he did. "We know why I disappeared from your vision. It's because I'm near Jacob. But we know I'll be fine Alice. As soon as I walk away from Jacob you will see me again." I heard a grunt from the other end of the phone but I didn't give her a chance to speak. "Welcome to everyone else's world Alice. Not everyone can see into the future. I'm going to do this. You can tell Edward or I will fill him in later. But either way I'm still going to talk with Jacob. He deserves at least that after everything he's done for me. For us." The more I was defending him to Alice, the more I started to believe my own words. Jacob had sacrificed a lot to keep me safe when Edward left and when Victoria attacked. He did deserve a chance to speak his mind. Even if his words would upset me and not change anything.

"I won't stop you Bella. Although if you don't call me as soon as you leave him, I will tell Edward everything and he will be down there to defend you before I even finish explaining the situation." I knew he would too.

"That sounds fair Alice. I will tell Edward everything after. There's no need to worry him when I'm not in any danger." Emmett grunted again. I just glared at him.

"Sorry. But I was really hoping to kick some doggy ass." Alice laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Both of you need to knock it off. Violence never solved anything. It just leads to more violence." Hopefully they both got the point. "Alice I'll call later after I speak with Jacob. Just relax and don't worry about your visions. At least now you know why I disappear. Bye." I hung up the phone and turned to Emmett. He just hung his head trying to avoid meeting my eyes.

"You really couldn't just tell me the truth when you caught me in the garage?" He was still avoiding eye contact.

"I couldn't. Rose. My jeep. Alice." He wasn't making much sense but I assumed that Alice had threatened him or something. I knew Rosalie wasn't involved because she didn't care enough about me to threaten Emmett. Perhaps Alice was blackmailing him with some kind of information that Rosalie wasn't aware of.

"It's okay Emmett. You're my big brother. I know you're just doing what you think is best. But I am going to talk with Jacob and you really need to get somewhere safer before the sun gets brighter and the shade disappears all together."

"I'm going back to my hotel. But I'm close enough that if you need me just say my name and I'll be there. Even if it exposes me and the Volturi come after me. It will be worth it to protect you."

"Don't be an idiot Emmett. I'll be fine and so will you. But how are you going to get anywhere with the sun at its current position?" He didn't say anything but Emmett pointed down at a sewer manhole. He pulled the lid off and jumped in.

"Remember Bella. I'm close if you need me." He replaced the cover and was gone. I walked back towards Renee. I had been gone for a while and I was wondering why she hadn't come looking for me by now.

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	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

After taking a few moments to digest everything that just happened I walked back over to where Renee was sitting.

"What took you so long Bella? I was about to come see if you fell in." Funny mom.

"Sorry about that mom." What do I tell her? Then I saw Jacob walking towards us with his surfboard in hand. I guess partial truth would be best. "I ran into a friend of mine from Forks. He came to the east coast for some surfing. I pointed at Jacob who waved as he came closer.

"Hello. I'm Jacob Black. It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Dwyer."

"Black? That name sounds very familiar." Well Charlie and Billy have been friends since before I was born. It's possible Renee knows Billy. "Are you Billy Black's son?"

"That's my dad. Although he doesn't know I'm here so I'd appreciate if we kept it just between us Mrs. Dwyer. There's a surfing contest on Saturday here and he's not a fan of the sport." I was kind of hoping Renee wouldn't mention it to Charlie either. It would be hard for me to explain seeing Jacob when Charlie thought he ran away.

"I haven't spoken to your father since Bella and I left Forks, but I'm guessing you mean Charlie since he and your father gossip worse than teenage girls. This will be our little secret. And please, call me Renee." That's a relief.

"Thank you Renee. I'd better get back to the waves to practice some more. Bella, are you going to be around later to talk? I feel like I never see you anymore." That was a low blow. He knew I wanted to see him. He's the one that just took off running in wolf form. I looked over to Renee.

"Sure Jake. When you're done surfing later we can talk. I'll be here." I saw my Jacob's smile for the first time since before Victoria had attacked after graduation. Maybe there was still hope for us.

"I'll see you later Bella. Bye Renee. It was nice meeting you." Jacob picked up his board and ran towards the ocean.

"That's nice that your friend is here. We should come on Saturday to watch him compete." Would Jacob want me there on Saturday after we talked later? Was he actually completing or just using that as an excuse?

"Maybe mom. I'll ask him later. Right now I'd just really like to read my book." Before Renee could say anything, I took my iPod out of the bag and went to put the earbuds in when the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Emmett this time. "Hey Emmett. What's up?" I tried to sound casual since Renee was right next to me.

"I wanted to make sure everything is okay. I saw Jacob walk away but Alice still can't see you." Where was he that he could see? I couldn't look around because Renee would notice.

"I haven't spoken to him today but I will later." Hopefully he would get the hint.

"Right, I forgot Renee was sitting next to you. So he's coming back later to talk?" Good he did figure it out.

"Probably after dinner." I figured if I kept the responses simple enough Renee would just assume I was talking about Edward.

"Do you want me there just in case? You'll just need to find a shaded area since the sun will still be up." Emmett was taking this bodyguard job a little too seriously. It was just Jacob.

"Don't worry about it Emmett. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"If you say so, I'll stay back. But if you need me just say the word and I'll be there." He means well.

"Sounds good. I'll see you when I get home in a few days. I'll let Edward know that Alice isn't answering her phone." I wasn't really sure what to say.

"I know Renee is listening, but you really need to get better at cryptic phone calls Bella. I'll check in with you later." I heard the click of his phone closing. I honestly thought I was doing a good job with talking in front of Renee.

"Who was that honey?"

"Edward's brother. Apparently Alice and Edward are avoiding his phone calls. He wanted to know if it was just him or if they were out of cell range." That should work. Before Renee could say anything else, I stuck my earbuds in and turned on Edward's playlist. Immediately I was surrounded by the relaxing sounds of Yo-Yo Ma performing Beethoven's Cello Sonatas. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading trashy beach stories.

As Renee and I were packing up to head back to the house, Jacob came back up from the water.

"Would you ladies like some help?" Before we could respond Jacob had the chairs in one hand and the cooler in the other. We walked back to the car and he loaded the trunk.

"Mom." I figured I needed to stop stalling my conversation with Jacob. "Would it be alright if I met you back at the house? I want to hang out with Jacob for a bit." It's not like the house was far. We only drove because we didn't want to carry the stuff.

"Of course Bella. Just don't take too long. Phil's probably going to want to have dinner soon." Renee got in the car and drove off. I was left standing next to a wet Jacob about to have what was bound to be a difficult conversation.

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	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

Jacob and I went for a walk along the edge of the water. He was silent for a long time and I assumed he wasn't sure how to start. I decided to break the silence.

"I've missed you Jacob." He started to smile but he stopped himself.

"Yeah. I've missed you too. This never use to be so complicated."

"It doesn't have to be Jake. You're making it more complicated." After I said it, I wished I could take it back. Jacob's hand was starting to tremble so I took a few steps back.

"I'm making it more complicated?" He raised his voice and I backed up farther. "I'm not the one who wants to marry-"

"Calm down Jake. Don't do this." I knew that I would be alright but we were on a public beach and there were other people around. He started muttering to himself and I could see the tremors gradually stopping. "Thank you."

"I would never hurt you Bella. I love you." I hated when he said that because I could never love him back in the same way. I loved Jacob, but like a brother.

"Jake." He interrupted me.

"No, let me finish." He took a deep breath. "I love you Bella and I know you don't feel the same way. But you are making a decision that cannot be undone. You're eighteen years old. How do you know that five years from now this will still be the right decision?" I waited to see if he was going to keep speaking. When I knew he was done for now, I responded.

"I love him Jacob and I can't live without him. That's how I know it's the right decision. During those months that we were separated I was just a shell of a person. You were there. I wasn't me. Edward makes me whole."

"But he's a-" His voice changed to just above a whisper. "bloodsucker."

"Don't call him that. And you know he's different." Jacob grunted. "Jacob. I've missed you but I've already made up my mind about this. I love Edward."

"I know you think you do but it's just a trick Bella. I know the blonde one can control emotions. How do you know he's not tricking you?" Is he really trying to convince me that all of my feelings are manufactured by Jasper?

"Jacob, did you just come here to make me upset? Because it's working. I know how you feel, but I hoped that you would want me to be happy. Edward makes me happy." Jacob didn't say anything for a while. We kept walking along the water and I realized that we were getting farther away from the crowded beach. Jacob found a small rock formation and sat down while patting the rock next to him. I sat beside him and he starred into the ocean.

"I'm sorry Bella. I promised not to hurt you yet I seem to be breaking my promise again." His eyes unexpectedly changed from the harsh, angry Jacob to my Jacob; the caring Jacob who fixed up the motorcycles and worked on homework with me. Perhaps there was still hope for us as friends.

"Jacob it only hurts me to see you so unhappy. I promise you'll find that special someone one day when you least expect it. She's out there Jake. But if you can't see past me you'll never find her." I was trying to figure out what else I could say when the phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Edward. I wasn't sure if I should answer with Jacob sitting next to me. I decided the best option was to ignore it. I'd be telling him the truth later so why get him upset twice.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

"I'll call him back. This is more important right now." Jacob smiled. I think he misconstrued my words. "Who knows when you'll disappear on me again. I know Edward will pick up the phone later when I call." It was a low blow but it had to be said.

"I don't want to leave Bella. I just can't sit here and watch you make a mistake. I won't watch you make a mistake."

"You only think it's a mistake because you haven't tried to understand. For someone who calls me stubborn you are persistent. How many times do I have to explain that I love Edward before you realize that he makes me happy?"

"He's going to make you dead Bella."

"If that's how you want to look at it." I was really starting to get angry at Jacob.

"That's how it is. Bella you still can't see that. He's going to stop your heart. The very thing that keeps you alive, that makes you human."

"Says the boy who turns into a wolf. That doesn't seem very human." I looked at my watch. It was getting late and I promised Renee I wouldn't be long. I just couldn't end things with Jacob like this. "I'm sorry Jake. I know you're hurting right now but I need you to understand. Edward and I love each other and we are going to spend the rest of eternity together. I want you to stay my friend, but if it's too difficult I understand."

"I don't understand Bella. And I'm not going to hang around to watch you die. I will remember you forever like you are now. Beautiful, with cheeks as red as apples. I love you Bella and I always will." Before I could say another word, Jacob put his arms around me and pulled me towards him. Our lips connected and I found that I couldn't pull away. After some time had passed, Jacob pulled back. "That was nice. I'm glad I'll have it in my memory." He turned around and ran off leaving me stunned on the beach. Only time would tell if I would see him again.

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	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

As I walked back towards Renee's house I decided to call Edward while I still had some privacy. The phone rang twice before I heard his voice.

"Is everything alright Bella? You didn't answer before."

"I know and I'm sorry, but I was in the middle of something important." I felt the tears forming in my eyes and I could hear my voice crack, giving me away.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? I'm getting on the next plane."

"Calm down Edward, everything is fine. I just had a difficult afternoon on the beach." I wasn't sure what the best way to tell him was so I decided to just blurt it out. "Jacob was there."

"That mutt." He sounded angry. "Did he hurt you? I'll kill him." Now the tears were pouring out and I knew that Edward could hear everything even though I wasn't saying anything. "Oh Bella. I wouldn't really hurt him. You know that don't you? I love you."

"I love you too. And he didn't hurt me we just talked." I took a deep breath and replayed the conversation to Edward.

"He kissed you? He's lucky I wasn't there." Maybe luck had nothing to do with it.

"He wasn't lucky. He knew you weren't here before he even came." Edward growled.

"Of all the" his voice trailed off and I couldn't hear the rest of his statement. The next thing I knew, Alice was on the other end.

"Everything's alright Bella. I can see you clearly again." That's when it happened; I heard a loud scream in the background. I could just make out Alice's words. "She was never in danger." Something glass broke. "I sent Emmett there in case."

"Bella. I'll call you right back after I kill my sister." The tone of his voice told me that Edward was very upset.

"Edward Masen Cullen calm down this instant." I sounded like a mother talking to an out of control child. "You will not hurt Alice. She was just doing what she thought was best."

"Best? She lied to me and put your life in danger Bella. I love you too much to let anything happen."

"Nothing happened. And she's right, Emmett was here. He's been here ever since I fell in the garage. Right now I need you to calm down because I am stressed out enough and I can't go back into the house like this. So please, calm down and help me calm down before Renee notices something is amiss." He took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose like he often did while concentrating.

"You're right love. Everything is fine."

"And you won't hurt Alice?" She might be annoying, but I loved my soon to be sister.

"Hurting Alice would hurt you, so no. I won't hurt Alice." I could hear a small growl being held back but I ignored it.

"I want you to enjoy the rest of your time in New York. Alice said she can see me clearly again." I chocked on the next words. "So Jacob isn't coming back." I knew it was true. I hurt Jacob and I would have to live with it.

"Do you want me to come back to Florida early? We can always return whatever Alice ends up buying here." I laughed. I knew if he left her alone to shop that she would end up buying the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge.

"I'm fine. I promise. You should stay in New York. I'll see you in a few days. I need to go right now though. Renee is standing at the front door tapping her watch. I think Phil's hungry."

"Then it's a perfect time to treat them to dinner." I knew he wanted me to treat them, but I still wasn't sure how to do it after Renee keeps bring up the money issue. "Knock it off Alice." I heard him yell away from the phone.

"Bella. Renee will be fine with it. I can see you all sitting at a table in front of a large aquarium." Aquarium? I know not to bet against Alice, but Renee hates seafood.

"I'm not so sure about that Alice. Renee keeps bringing up the money topic every chance she gets. Plus, she hates seafood."

"I didn't say you were eating seafood. I said there's an aquarium in the restaurant. Lots of places have that." She paused. "I think." Alice hadn't been inside many restaurants. There was no need when I wasn't around.

"Alright, I'll offer to take her out. Now can I say goodbye to Edward?" She laughed and I heard his melodic voice again.

"Just try Bella. If Renee says no, you don't have to force the issue. I love you and I'll talk to you later."

"I love you too." I hung up the phone and walked the last few feet into the house.

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	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Where's your friend?" Renee asked as I walked through the door. "He could have joined us for dinner." I wasn't really sure how to reply to Renee.

"That's not the type of guy Jacob is." Not the best answer but I really didn't know what to say. "So I was thinking mom." I decided that changing the subject quickly was the best action to avoid playing twenty questions about Jacob. "I would like to take you and Phil out tonight as a thank you for having me this week."

"Bella, you don't have to treat us. We love having you here. I've missed you since you moved to Forks."

"While I was walking home I grabbed a tourist magazine and saw the menu for North Beach. I would really like to treat you both tonight." After Alice's comment I knew right away that North Beach was the restaurant that we would be going to because the advertisement had photographs and I had clearly see a large aquarium in the middle of the restaurant. The menu was described as American fusion so I knew we'd all find something to eat there.

"North Beach? Bella that restaurant is much too expensive for you to treat us. If you insist on paying for dinner let's just go to Olive Garden." My pocket vibrated and I knew that Alice was going to give me a response. _Tell her that it's your pleasure to treat her and that you already made the reservation._ Reservation? When did Alice find time to make us a reservation.

"Mom, it's my pleasure to treat. Besides." I swallowed the words as I said them. "I already made us a reservation."

"North Beach? I haven't even taken your mother there yet." Phil came downstairs and put his arms around my mother's waist. "You really don't have to treat us to such an expensive meal Bella. You've been working really hard at that job of yours to pay for college."

"Please Phil. I haven't seen either of you in months. I would really like to do this." This must be how Edward feels every time he tries to buy me something.

"Are you sure you can afford it Bella? If you really want to treat us, I agree with your mother. Let's just go somewhere cheaper like Olive Garden." Should I tell them that it's really Edward paying?

"I'm positive Phil. I love you both and just want to celebrate everything. Graduation, the upcoming wedding, leaving for college. When else will we have a chance for something like this?"

"Alright Bella. You can treat us to dinner." I smiled at Renee. She still seemed hesitant and I suspected that she knew it was really Edward that was treating her to dinner. "You mentioned that you already made the reservation. What time should we leave?" Alice didn't mention a time in her text. I was about to text her when she beat me to it. _6:45 and it's under the name Swan._ Sometimes I wondered how I survived before Alice came along.

"The reservation is for 6:45. I'm not positive how far it is from here so I'm not sure what time we need to leave the house." I looked at my watch, it was only 6:10. Phil looked at his watch also.

"I think we should leave in about ten minutes. Just so we make sure not to hit any traffic." I nodded at Phil and went upstairs to change.

Before walking downstairs I decided to check the phone and see if Alice left any advice for the evening. Without fail I had two text messages waiting for me. One from Alice and one from Edward. _Don't forget to order appetizers and desserts. Oh and tell Renee we're going to come back to Jacksonville before you leave so I can get her measurements for her dress._ Alice might have been able to convince me to let her take over my wedding, but I know Renee well enough to know that she's not going to wear a custom made dress.

_We will be coming back to Jacksonville a few days early because it's going to be overcast, but don't worry about Alice. I'll keep her away from Renee._ I wonder if they are coming early because of the Jacob incident.

"Bella are you ready to go?" Renee was yelling up the stairs. I would have to figure out what was going on with Edward and Alice later.

"Coming mom." I quickly sent a text back to Edward before going downstairs to leave for dinner. _I'll call you after dinner. I love you._

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	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

When we arrived at the restaurant Phil dropped Renee and me at the door before going to park. I fought my way through the crowded lobby and walked over to the hostess stand.

"Welcome to North Beach. Do you have a reservation?" The hostess asked with a bubbly voice. I wondered how long the wait would be even with the reservation.

"Yes. It's under the name Swan at 6:45." The girl looked down at her clipboard.

"Ah Miss Swan, we have been expecting you. Welcome to North Beach. Please follow me. Your table is ready." Ready? Even with a reservation this place was so crowded.

"Mom." I called over the crowd while waving towards Renee. She walked towards me. "Our table is ready."

"Really?" She must have been wondering the same thing as I was because she was looking around at the crowds. "I guess it was a good thing you made a reservation." Yeah, good thing.

"I had the reservation listed for three. Are you still waiting on someone?" The hostess had three menus in her hand as she led us through the crowded restaurant. As we entered the main dining area, I immediately noticed a large aquarium in the center. Next to the aquarium was a small table with three place settings and a reserved sign on it. She picked up the reserved sign and handed us our menus as we sat down.

"He's just parking the car. I'll go back out to wait for him. Bella, feel free to order a drink. I'll be right back." Renee followed the hostess back towards the entrance. I took the opportunity to send a message to Alice. _Why did the hostess just act like I was you? What did you do when you made the reservation?_ No sooner had I hit send, there was already a response. _I'm offended Bella. There is nothing wrong with the way hostesses treat you when you pay them. I didn't want anything ruining your night._ That did explain it. She must have paid the hostess when she made the reservation. I was about to send her another text when Renee and Phil walked up. I quickly put the phone back in my pocket.

"Wow. You guys got a table fast considering the crowd in the lobby." Phil was looking around as he spoke.

"I guess I just made the reservation for the right time." No need to tell him that Alice paid off the hostess. I didn't actually want to know how much Alice gave her. "I'm not sure what to order. Everything looks amazing." I was trying to decide between the veal and the chicken.

"I've heard everything here is amazing sweetie." Renee looked down at the menu. "Are you sure you can afford this Bella?" Was this going to happen all night?

"Mom, just order whatever you would like. I told you before this is my treat because I never see you. I'm always buying groceries for dad. At least this way I don't have to cook and then wash the dishes after." Is she going to buy it? "Consider this meal two years worth of me cooking for you." She smiled and looked back at the menu.

"Good evening. My name is Miguel. I will be your waiter this evening. Our special for the evening is fresh Maryland lump crab cakes served with shrimp scampi and linguini. May I start you off with beverages while you look through the menu?" Miguel had a thick accent and deep tan. Renee and I were just staring at the tight white shirt that outlined his abs so Phil spoke up first.

"I think we'll all just have coke." Miguel wrote it down.

"Would you like any starters this evening? Our artisan cheese plate is a popular selection. It includes an assortment of cheeses and crackers."

"That sounds lovely Miguel; we'll take an order of the cheeses." Renee just looked at me but I quickly put my face back into my menu to hide my rosy cheeks. Miguel smiled and walked away. When he returned, he placed three sodas on the table.

"I will be right back with your artisan cheese plate." He headed towards the kitchen and returned the platter. It was huge and took up most of the table. Phil dug right in. "Are you ready to order or would you like more time?" I looked over at Renee; she nodded so I turned to Miguel.

"I think we're ready. I'm going to have the veal." I folded up the menu and handed it to Miguel. Phil ordered the chicken.

"I'll just have the rigatoni bolognese." Renee picked the cheapest item on the menu.

"I will put your orders in right away. Please let me know if there is anything else you need." Miguel walked away.

"So Bella. How was the beach today?" Phil asked as he ate a cheese cube.

"It was nice Phil. Thanks for asking." I didn't really know what to say. I know Renee was curious about Jacob but I really didn't want to talk about it. I'd have to figure out a safe topic to discuss and quickly. "So how's spring training going? Any major league prospects?" While I didn't want to listen to baseball talk all night, I knew that if I got Phil started he wouldn't stop.

"I have a great team. I'm not sure if I'll get called up but I'm keeping my stats up and just showing my skills." Phil continued to talk about his team until the food arrived.

"This is amazing." Renee said as she took a second bite of her rigatoni. My veal came with a mushroom risotto that looked magnificent and crisp onion straws. I took a bite and couldn't believe the favors that exploded in my mouth. When we were finished eating, Miguel began to clear the plates from the table.

"Can I interest you in a dessert?" Miguel asked. I looked at Renee and she shook her head.

"That's alright. I think we're full. Just the check please." Miguel handed me the blue portfolio with the check. I took the black card out of my wallet and slide it into the slot. I couldn't look at the total because I knew I would probably turn red. After Miguel returned I signed the receipt and put the card back in my wallet. We walked outside and Phil brought the car around.

"Thank you for dinner Bella. It was delicious." Renee said as she got in the car. As we drove back to the house, I thought about how to tell Renee that Edward and Alice were coming back early. Maybe I would call Alice when I got home and ask her for a reason. After all, she was the best at cover stories.

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	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Hello love." He answered before the phone even rang once. "Did you enjoy dinner?"

"Yes, it was lovely. Although I think Renee felt funny letting me pay." I wasn't going to tell him that I felt funny paying.

"Renee felt funny? Or you did?" I normally loved that he knew me so well but not this time.

"Both."

"Bella we need to come up with a story for Renee as to why we're coming back to Jacksonville." Why did Alice always have to grab the phone from Edward?

"I'm sure you'll come up with something Alice. Now can I please talk to Edward?" I really missed his voice.

"Sorry love. She grabbed the phone." I figured. "I'm glad you took Renee and Phil out for dinner and I'm sorry that the credit card makes you feel funny. If you really don't like having it I can hold on to it until after the wedding." I smiled at the thought of our upcoming nuptials.

"It just feels strange to be spending your-" He coughed. "It is your money Edward. I know we're going to be married soon but it still feels weird. I don't think I'll ever get use to it."

"Yes you will." I heard Alice sing loudly from somewhere near Edward.

"Annoying Pixie." I grunted as Edward laughed on the other end.

"I just want you to be happy Bella. So if you don't like having the card I'll take it back." He paused. "For now." I knew this wasn't the end of the discussion but he changed the subject. "So Alice and I are going to fly in tomorrow. It's going to be overcast the rest of your trip and Alice claims to be finished in New York." So this was Alice's doing again. I hope she wasn't hiding some impending doom from Edward and me. "Emmett is still there so we're just going to stay at the hotel with him. That you still have time with your mother. However we still need an excuse for being there since she will more than likely see us." I didn't care if Renee saw him. But if he was going to be that close for three days and not see me I'd be upset.

"I got it Bella." Alice grabbed the phone again. "Renee doesn't know about the overcast since the weatherman is wrong as usual. So we're going to say that I wanted to get some color before the wedding. It's going to start raining about an hour after our plane lands so my plans will obviously be ruined." Only Alice could get excited over rain.

"That would probably work. Should I tell her now or tomorrow?" I wasn't sure what was best.

"Do it now. Walk downstairs with the phone to your ear so it looks like I'm just telling you." That sounded like a good plan. This way Alice could feed me what to say. I walked downstairs and found Renee and Phil sitting on the couch together watching Field of Dreams.

"Mom can I steal you away for a moment?" They looked so comfortable together but I didn't need a larger audience for this. She walked over towards the kitchen.

"Is something wrong Bella?"

"Not wrong, I just need to tell you something. Alice is on the phone and they finished up in New York so they're going to fly back down tomorrow since she wants to work on her tan." I heard Alice's approval on the other end of the phone.

"They're more than welcome to come. They're family. But I'm not sure where everyone will fit. We'll have to clean out the office so the bed can fold out of the couch." I wasn't sure if she thought Edward would be sharing my room or not.

"Tell her I already got a hotel room because I didn't want to inconvenience her." Alice said though the phone.

"Actually mom. Alice already booked a hotel room right on the beach for them. She didn't want to inconvenience you just because she wanted some sun." I laughed a little at the thought of Alice wanting sun.

"They don't have to do that. We can find room here. Why don't we run out in the morning and buy an air mattress." I'd just have to convince her that they should just stay in the hotel. After all, I didn't want Edward and Alice to keep up an act. It would really be easier.

"It's fine really mom. Alice already booked the hotel and Edward doesn't want to intrude on our week together."

"Way to go Bella. There's hope for you yet." Alice's response let me know that Renee was going to drop the subject.

"If you're sure. What time does their flight get in?" I wasn't sure so it was a good thing Alice was still on the phone.

"Alice, what time is your flight suppose to get in?" She told me three but that they would rent a car so Renee wouldn't need to pick them up.

"They should arrive around three but Alice already arranged for a ride so we don't have to pick them up."

"Oh." Renee sounded slightly disappointed but I assumed it was because she knew that meant they were spending more money. "Well do they know how to get here from the airport?"

"Alice, do you need directions?" I guess Alice saw something because she asked me to hand Renee the phone. "She says that would be wonderful." I said as I handed Renee the phone.

"Yes dear." Renee paused while Alice spoke. "We're at 9340 Ocean Way. Are you sure you just need the address because I can tell you how to get here from the airport." I heard the quiet mumbles of Alice on the other end. "Oh, the rental has a GPS." Renee's face contorted slightly. "I look forward to seeing you. Here's Bella." She handed the phone back to me and went to rejoin Phil on the couch.

"Now I know where you get it from Bella. I could hear the disgust in your mother's voice when I mentioned GPS." I was already walking upstairs so Renee wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Well you could have just let her give you directions and then used the GPS." That would have stopped the disgust from her voice. "Wait a minute. Why do you need a GPS? Don't you have a map of the roads stored somewhere in your photographic memory?" Another perk of being a vampire.

"Well it would have sounded funny if I told Renee I already knew every road without a map. This was just the easiest discussion Bella." There was some kind of noise in the background. "Hang on, let me finish and then you can have the phone back." She spoke away from the phone towards Edward. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of speaking with him again.

"I'm with him Alice. Give him the phone back."

"In a minute Bella. Learn some patience. I need to finish telling you my plans." That was never a good sign. "So like I already told you it's going to start raining shortly after we arrive tomorrow. I'm going to be so disappointed that I book us all at the Sawgrass Spa for Friday. You are going to love the mud baths and stone massages." What was she planning to do with me? If I didn't want to see Edward so badly I would tell her to just stay in New York. "After the spa, you and Edward are going to enjoy a candle lit dinner on the yacht."

"Yacht?" I had to catch myself from yelling at her so Renee didn't hear. "I don't want to go on a yacht." I'd probably fall overboard.

"Relax Bella. Edward just wants to take the thing for a joy ride and make sure it's still running well. We had it transported to Jacksonville last time you two went and he didn't get a chance to play with it." At least they weren't buying a new boat. It sounded like they already had one.

"Can I talk to him now?" She huffed but I soon heard his voice.

"We don't have to take the boat out if you'd prefer to stay on land. I just thought it might be fun." How could I say no to that?

"It's fine. If you really want to take it out we can. As long as I'm with you."

"Always."

We continued to talk until the phone started beeping because of the battery. He said goodnight and I hung up the phone to charge it. I was excited that I would be seeing him tomorrow. It has only been three days, but it felt like forever since I'd seen him last. I laid down in bed and closed my eyes. Soon I was submerged in dreams of Edward.

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	22. Chapter 22

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

The morning had gone slow while I waited for Edward to arrive at the front door. Just as Alice had predicted, it started raining at about two. Around 3:15 I received a text message saying that the plane landed and they were already signing for the car.

It was now 3:30 and I was still waiting for those golden eyes to be at the doorstep. Renee and Phil went out to get groceries so they would have enough food for two more people and I was sitting on the couch watching Romeo and Juliet on some random channel. I jumped at the sudden cold hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry love. I just wanted to surprise you." I turned around and put my arms around Edward as I pulled myself in for a kiss. When I couldn't breathe anymore he pulled me away. "If I knew I would get such a warm reception I would have come yesterday." I laughed.

"Get a room you two." Alice was standing in the doorway laughing at us.

"Hi Alice." The two of them joined me on the couch. "I see you got bored with New York."

"New York is like us Bella. It never sleeps." I let out a slight giggle at her joke. "I got everything I needed." She looked over at Edward. "Well, almost everything. Edward wouldn't let me hire the band or rent the blimp." Blimp?

"What blimp?" I asked even though I wasn't sure that I wanted an answer.

"It's the best way to announce to all of Forks that you two are getting married. I wanted the Goodyear blimp to fly over the town." She looked completely serious. "Relax Bella. Edward insisted that if I did that he'd take you to Vegas." He nodded. "And I saw it happen so I canceled the blimp." Small miracle. Edward suddenly sat up in a slightly more presentable manner. As if on cue, Renee walked in the front door followed by Phil.

"I see you beat us home. Did you find the place alright?" She put the groceries on the kitchen counter.

"It was no problem. Thank you Renee." Alice got up from the couch. "Can I help you put everything away?"

"Go relax Alice. You just got off a plane, you're probably tired." Edward laughed as Alice shrugged her shoulders and sat back down. "What would you two like for dinner?"

"Please don't let us inconvenience you Renee. We actually need to go check into the hotel. I just wanted to see Bella first." I just smiled at Edward. I missed being in his arms.

"Nonsense Edward. You're our guests and it's no inconvenience. Bella didn't get her cooking skills from her father you know." Not that Renee was much better than Charlie in the kitchen.

"Really Renee. We'll eat whatever you make." Edward looked down at his watch. "Bella, would you like to come for a ride with us to check-in at the hotel?" I smiled and got up from the couch.

"We'll be back in a bit mom." I said to Renee as I pulled my shoes on. When I walked outside I wasn't surprised to see the car that Alice rented. It was a black Mustang convertible.

"I can't wait to show you everything Bella. You're going to love it." I was only half listening to Alice because Edward and I were holding each other in the back seat. We pulled into the hotel and walked right up to the room.

"Stay out here for a second Bella." Edward was pinching the bridge of his nose as he opened the door.

"Oh shit." Rosalie? "Edward I thought you were going to call before you got here." At least I knew there wasn't any danger to me lurking in the hotel room.

"Just get dressed you two, Bella's waiting outside." Alice sounded amused. She must have hidden this from Edward. A few seconds later Alice called out to me. "You can come in now Bella." I walked in and saw Rosalie and Emmett sitting on the edge of the bed while Alice was sitting on the couch. Edward was starring out the window and I could tell that he was trying hard not to hurt his siblings.

"Hi Rosalie. I didn't know you were here too." I wasn't sure if they knew I could hear everything so I decided not to mention it.

"Hi Bella. I flew down to be with Emmett as soon as I realized he left Forks." Alice stuck her tongue out at Rosalie and I just laughed.

"Well thank you for lending me Emmett as a bodyguard." She smiled but didn't say anything else. Edward came and joined me on the couch with Alice. We sat in silence for a few minutes before Alice decided to speak.

"So Bella do you think Renee will join as at the spa tomorrow? Otherwise Rosalie will meet us there. We just don't want to shock Renee with even more Cullen's in town." I hadn't even thought about that when I first saw Rosalie since Renee hadn't seen Emmett at the house or the beach.

"You'll have to ask her at dinner Alice. Although I'd have to vote no because Renee is like me. She doesn't like that kind of stuff." Alice laughed. "It's not funny Alice. I've just learned not to argue because you always win." Now everyone was laughing.

"Honestly Bella, now that Edward and Alice are here, I was planning to drag Emmett back to Forks. If the mutt comes back you have more than enough protection." Comes back?

"Alice." I whispered. "Are you here because I disappeared from the future again?" Alice looked towards Edward and then tried to change the topic.

"So Bella we should look at the spa's list of treatments and decide what to get tomorrow."

"Don't change the topic Alice. Is that why you two left New York early?" Edward was the first to speak.

"I just missed you Bella. It has nothing to do with Jacob. I promise." I'm not so sure I believed him but I just liked being in his arms again too much to care.

"You two better head back to Renee's house before she decides to come over her." I thought about what Alice said for a moment. "I'm going to stay here with Emmett and Rosalie. Just tell Renee I decided to take a nap." I laughed but nodded as Edward and I got up to leave.

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	23. Chapter 23

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Where's Alice?" Renee really didn't miss anything.

"She's disappointed that the weather took a turn for the worse so she decided to mope around the hotel room. I'll bring her something back for dinner later. Is there anything I can help with Renee?" Edward and I walked into the kitchen where Renee was chopping some broccoli.

"I appreciate the offer Edward but you and Bella should go relax. I'll have dinner ready in about twenty minutes." Edward and I left the kitchen and sat down in the living room. I turned on the television but wasn't really interested in watching. I just curled up next to Edward on the couch and rested my head on his shoulder. In return he had his arms around me holding me tightly but comfortably.

"I missed this." He said as he inhaled the scent of my strawberry shampoo. "Three days felt like an eternity when I wasn't near you." I smiled.

"I feel the same way. Do I really have to spend all day tomorrow with Alice? Can't the two of us hide somewhere?" He laughed.

"We'll have the evening. Besides, you'll be with your mother tomorrow." I still won't be with him. "And Alice will be under control. She can't shop while in a mud bath." I imagined Alice sitting in a mud bath with her Blackberry placing different orders.

"I suppose you're right." As usual. "Maybe I can sneak out while she's pre-occupied and we-" I was interrupted by the vibration of the phone in my pocket. I pulled it out only to see a text from Alice. _Don't even think about it._ Edward laughed as he looked over my head at the phone. "I guess not."

"I promise love. When you return from the spa, the two of us are going to spend the rest of the evening alone on the yacht. We can even turn all the phones off so that Alice can't interrupt us."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that Edward. I've never been very good on boats." He lifted my chin so that he was looking directly into my eyes.

"Do I have to dazzle you?" He already was. "What is it about the boat that worries you? Are you afraid it's going to sink?" I shook my head, no. "Are you worried that there will be engine trouble and we get stranded with no food?" Again I shook my head. "Then what my love is worrying you about being on the boat?" I took a deep breath. In all honestly, I wasn't really sure what worried me about being on the boat.

"It's not so much the being on the boat that bothers me. It's just the grand gesture of the whole thing." He pinched the bridge of his nose but then began to laugh again. "It's not funny Edward. I'm just not comfortable with you always spending money on me."

"So this is all about money?" I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I nodded. "What if I told you that tomorrow evening will not cost me anything? Well, I did order your dinner from a restaurant to be delivered to the dock before we leave. But otherwise I did not spend a penny."

"Alice?" He could have been choosing his words very carefully.

"I promise Bella. No one in my family spent any money on tomorrow evening." He must have figured what I was inferring. "We have owned the yacht for about five years. It is not new and was not purchased with the purpose of taking you out on it. In fact, taking you out for a romantic ride is only a bonus to the real reason I need to take it out." I just looked at him in disbelief. "Carlisle and Esme were thinking about taking a trip soon and he asked me to make sure everything was in working order." I was starting to relax now that I knew the boat wasn't a big production.

"Where are they going?"

"That's a secret." He pointed to his head. "I promised Carlisle I wouldn't tell. He and Esme have been working really hard to not make any concrete decisions so that Alice doesn't find out." Will I ever get use to the lack of privacy? At least I knew my head was safe. "Although I will tell you that they can only get there by boat or swimming." He smiled.

"Dinner's ready!" Renee yelled so that everyone could here. We walked towards the kitchen and sat at the table. Phil came down the stairs from the office and joined us.

"It smells delicious Renee." I felt bad that Edward would have to fake his way through another meal with Renee and Phil. Renee walked over to the table with a large serving plate with a roasted chicken. She then brought over broccoli, hollandaise sauce, and mashed potatoes.

"What would you like to drink Edward?"

"Water would be fine Renee." She walked over to the fridge and returned with a water pitcher and a bottle of Coke. Phil cut and served the chicken while we all helped ourselves to the vegetables.

"I feel kind of bad that you and Alice came back to Florida only for it to start raining. Hopefully it will clear up so she can sit on the beach tomorrow." Renee was always an optimist.

"Knowing Alice she'll find something else to occupy her time. She grabbed some spa brochures from the lobby while I was checking in earlier." We already knew that it was going to rain again tomorrow during the day. According to Alice the rain was going to stop around six but the overcast would remain.

"The spa?" Renee almost choked on a chicken bone. "There are a few good ones around here but they are all very pricey." This time I nearly choked. It seemed that all Renee could think about lately was money.

"Honestly, I doubt that bothers Alice. Knowing my sister she's already booked the three of you for the deluxe package."

"The three of us?" Renee questioned as Edward cut another piece of his chicken.

"Well, she commented about how much fun it would be to have a girlie day." He must have heard Renee's thoughts because he added. "She even left brochures on top of my suitcase for Sky Visions which celebrated its grand opening last month. It sounds like fun; the thrill of skydiving without the risk." I held in a giggle at the thought of anything being risky to Edward.

"That sounds like fun. I didn't realize a place like that existed around here."

"The brochure had last week listed as the grand opening so I guess I just have good timing on visiting you." Edward smiled and Renee looked down at her plate. He took the opportunity to sneak some of his food on to my plate. If he kept this up, Alice wouldn't be happy when she had to let my dress out.

After dinner, I walked Edward out to the car so he could return to the hotel.

"Would you like me to come back tonight?" Why wouldn't I want him to come back? I just smiled at him and he smiled back. "Leave the window open and I'll be back as soon as Renee and Phil are sleeping." He pulled me in closer and gave me a long kiss before getting in the car and driving away. I walked back into the house and hoped that Renee would go upstairs early tonight.

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	24. Chapter 24

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I woke in the morning to the wonderful sensation of Edward's arms wrapped around my body. I turned to face him.

"Good morning." He put down my new copy of Wuthering Heights and lifted me so that I was sitting upright.

"You must have had a good dream last night. You kept repeating 'Oh Edward' and 'It's beautiful' all night." I moaned. Certainly he would think I dreamt about him giving me a gift of some sorts but the reality was my dream was about the view of the stars from a boat, most likely because I was thinking about our upcoming boat ride before I fell asleep.

"Don't get any funny ideas mister. I was referring to the stars and the moon in my dream. We were looking at them together." He smiled but then tensed up.

"Renee's coming." He kissed the top of my head. "I'll be back later with Alice." Before I could even say goodbye he was out the window. Renee knocked on the door before cracking it open.

"Are you up sweetie? Alice just called the house phone. Edward was right about the spa idea. She said she made the three of us appointments and refused to take no for an answer. The two of them are on their way over now."

"I'm up mom. I'm going to hope in the shower quickly before they get here." I got out of bed and grabbed a towel before walking into the bathroom. When I returned I got dressed and headed downstairs. Edward and Alice were sitting on the couch. At least Edward was sitting, Alice was more bouncing.

"Good you're ready. We need to get going because I booked us for the deluxe full day experience." I just kept walking towards them without responding. Edward stood up and took the last few steps to meet me. "Enough you two. Renee are you ready?" Alice grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door. Renee met us and we got in her car. It was a good thing that Renee was driving because it would have been difficult to explain Alice's speeding to her.

"Thank you for doing this Alice. I'm sure it's going to be a relaxing day." Renee was trying to be polite but I could hear the undertone of disapproval in her voice. Alice either didn't notice or was choosing to ignore it.

"It's my pleasure Renee. I'm so excited. I looked at all the brochures last night and Sawgrass had the best selection of treatments. Plus the pictures were just gorgeous." I kind of just zoned Alice out for the rest of the car ride. When we arrived at the spa, Renee pulled into the valet parking and we walked into the building. From the moment we entered I was blown away by the tranquility. The walls were literally ceiling to floor waterfalls and the floor was designed with natural stones and sand under glass so that it felt like we were walking on a zen garden without messing up the sand.

"Ah, Ms. Cullen welcome. We've been expecting you and your guests. Please follow me and I will show you all where the locker room is located so that you can put your things away." The room which the woman led us to looked more like the first class lounge at the airport than a locker room. "Your robes are in the lockers. What size sandals do you ladies need?" We all gave our shoe size and the woman reached into one of the lockers to pull out three pairs of sandals. "Whenever you are ready your first treatment today will be the mud bath. It is located through that door. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

We all changed and walked out to the mud bath together. This room was even more stunning than the lobby. It felt like I was transported to a hidden pool of mud in a forest. Surrounding the mud bath were stools that looked like tree stumps. We hung our robes on some hooks made of tree branches and entered the mud. It was actually quite relaxing until Alice opened her mouth.

"So are you excited for next month? The wedding is going to be absolutely wonderful." I just smiled but I knew she was going to continue rambling on. "Renee." She turned to my mother. "While Bella is out tonight with Edward I need to get your measurements to make sure the dress is sized correctly. They're going to be delivered next week so that I can add the finishing touches myself."

"Alice you don't need to order me a dress. I can pick one out at Macy's." I had warned Alice that Renee wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a custom gown.

"Nonsense Renee. We're all going to match and it would just be wonderful if you wore the same style gown." Alice continued to persuade Renee but I just tried to zone out while absorbing the atmosphere. Suddenly I was hit in the face by some mud. "You're not even listening Bella."

"Huh?"

"The gentleman asked which treatment you would like next. A seaweed wrap or a sugar scrub?" I didn't even know what those two things were.

"I'll just do whatever you're doing Alice." She starred at me for about half a second before turning to the man standing above us.

"I guess that's three for the seaweed wraps." We all exited the mud and went into the locker room to shower before entering another room for the seaweed wraps. After covering my entire body with seaweed the woman began to work on my face. I noticed that Alice and Renee didn't have anything on their faces and I was slightly confused. "Relax Bella, I ordered you a signature facial. It's suppose to remove any dead skin from your face and promote a healthy glow." I just laid there as the woman was rubbing my temples. I had to admit, it felt nice.

About an hour later we were unwrapped and the gentleman led us to the cafeteria which looked more like a beachfront restaurant that a cafeteria. We ate lunch and spent the afternoon getting messages. It was extremely relaxing but I was glad when the day was over. As we waited for the valet to return with Renee's car, Renee thanked Alice for the wonderful day.

"It's really no problem Renee. I needed to do something since I couldn't sit at the beach and I thought we could all use a stress reliever right about now."

"Still Alice, it was very generous of you and I appreciate that you invited me to join you girls. I mean the wedding is coming soon and then you're going off to college." Renee had to stop and it was clear that she was fighting against tears. We drove back to the house in near silence and I was thrilled to see Edward sitting on the front porch waiting for us.

"Oh, no, big brother. You can't have her yet. Give me two hours and then you can leave for your date." I didn't even get a chance to properly greet Edward because Alice was dragging me upstairs towards the bathroom. She spent the better part of the next hour fixing my hair and makeup until she approved. Finally she dragged me into the bedroom and pulled a garment bag out from the back of the closet.

"How did that get in there?" I asked. Confused as to how Alice had the chance to hide something in Renee's house.

"I brought it over last night while you were sleeping." She opened the bag and removed a beautiful blue cocktail dress from the bag. It had a silver design on it that looked like someone took a paintbrush and tried to destroy the simple dress but ended up improving it. There was only a left shoulder to the dress and it slanted down towards the right. After I put the dress on, Alice handed me a pair of silver shoes with a modest heel. "Edward made me promise no stilettos this time. He didn't want you falling overboard." I gulped.

"Thanks Alice. Because I wasn't worried enough." She just stuck her tongue out at me.

"You'll thank me tomorrow. Now go downstairs. He's getting impatient with me." I descended the stairs and saw that Edward had managed to change as well. He was no longer in his jeans and polo; but in a beautiful black suit with a blue tie that matched my dress.

"Ready?" We walked out the door and got into the car. After dropping Alice off at the hotel, we continued to the pier where the yacht was waiting for our evening afloat.

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	25. Chapter 25

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Watch your step Bella." Edward was holding my hand as I walked onto the boat. I was kind of surprised when we got to the docks. The dock was full of gigantic boats that looked more like small cruise ships than privately owned yachts. Edward passed the larger boats and led me to a smaller but still luxurious looking vessel.

"This is amazing Edward." He smiled and led me around to the other side of the boat where there was a small table with candles.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm going to pull away from the dock and then get your dinner ready. It's below deck in the galley." I followed Edward up to the steering wheel and watched as he pushed buttons and the engine roared to life. I quickly realized why the Cullen's choose a smaller boat. Like their cars, this boat sped away from the dock at a speed that would have been impossible for a larger vessel.

"It's a good thing you're holding me." I said as the coast disappeared behind us. "Otherwise I might have fallen overboard when you speed away." He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head as the boat slowed down in the Atlantic.

"I would never let that happen. Are you hungry now? Or would you like to wait for your dinner?"

"I can wait. The view is just so beautiful from here." I couldn't actually see anything but the darkness around us, but I was looking at Edward and that was enough of a view to sweep me off my feet.

"Just let me know when you get hungry." Edward pressed a few buttons on the console and suddenly the lighting dimmed and soft music surrounded us. "May I please have this dance Miss Swan?" He held out his hand to me and I just stood there.

"Dance? You know I can't dance." He just reached for my hand and pulled me closer.

"You can think about it as practice for our wedding or as an excuse for me to hold you close."

"You don't need an excuse to hold me close." I didn't comment on the first part of his statement. I knew the wedding was going to happen but I was still anxious about the idea of a large wedding. "Why don't we just sit down and look at the stars."

"The stars have nothing on you Bella. We should wait until later though because there is suppose to be a meteor shower tonight." I thought of a way to avoid dancing.

"You know, I think I am feeling a little hungry. Maybe I should eat first." Edward smiled and guided me down to the lower level of the yacht.

"Then we'd better feed the human. Although I hope that we can dance later because it would complete the evening." When we entered the lower level I was blown away by what I saw. It looked more like a small apartment than the lower level of a boat. The kitchen, or galley as Edward called it, consisted of a microwave and refrigerator with a few empty cabinets for food. Across from the kitchen was a bedroom with a king-size bed in the middle and I was sure Alice had the closets packed with designer clothing. Off of the bedroom was a small bathroom. The last space consisted of a couch and television. I got comfortable on the couch while Edward started pulling plates out of the fridge.

"I hope you enjoy this. I ordered you the chicken cacciatore because the man said it didn't lose flavor or texture when reheated in a microwave." After the food was ready, Edward led me back up to the candlelit table on the deck where I ate as he watched.

"It's delicious Edward. The sauce is very flavorful." I used a piece of bread to soak up the last of the sauce.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Edward cleared the table as I took the last bite and was back before I swallowed. "Let's go relax and watch the meteor shower." He looked at his watch. "According to Alice, it will start in seven minutes." Edward led me to the front of the boat where he had a picnic blanket spread out. We laid down and I rested my head on his stomach.

"There's the big dipper." I pointed out. Edward laughed and proceeded to show me other constellations in the sky. "Showoff." He laughed and pointed back to the sky.

"It's starting." We watched the meteors as they shot across the sky. After the last meteor, I pulled myself up on my elbows to kiss Edward. He caressed my cheek as he returned the kiss but pulled away sooner than I would have liked.

"May I have that dance now please?" He was going to try again.

"Edward, I'll just end up looking like a fool. I just can't dance."

"Then it's a good thing there is no one around for miles to see you." He gave me his half smile and I knew I was on the losing end of the battle. We stood up and he wrapped his arms around my waste pulling me in closely to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck but just stood there. He sighed. "Love, it's not dancing if you stand still." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I'm just no good at this Edward."

"Just follow my lead and sway to the beat." I moved back and forth with Edward. When the song ended Edward lifted my chin so that I was looking in his eyes. "One more song?" I just smiled and put my head back on his chest. "I told you it wasn't hard. You're a natural." I just looked him in the eyes.

"Very funny. After this song, I'm finished. I just want to enjoy the stars before we have to head back." The song ended and we laid back down on the blanket. After a while I began to get tired. Edward carried me down to the bedroom and placed me on the bed.

"Just go to sleep Bella. I'll wake you up when we get to Renee's house." I smiled and drifted off as Edward walked back up.

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	26. Chapter 26

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

When I woke in the morning, I found a note sitting next to my head. _I went to get Alice from the hotel. Renee kept peeking in the room so I decided it was easier to just come back when you're awake. I love you._ I wasn't sure how long ago he left so I decided to take a quick shower. When I returned to the bedroom, Alice was sitting on the bed with a shopping bag next to her.

"It's about time you woke up. We've been sitting downstairs with Renee for an hour. Edward refused to let me wake you up." Alice seemed more excited than usual and I didn't think that was possible. "Here's an outfit for you. I bought it yesterday while you guys were stargazing." She handed me the shopping bag and I cautiously opened it. Inside was a bikini that was almost identical to the one I wore the other day, only more of a sky blue in color. I also saw a full body wetsuit that was black with sky blue shoulders that matched the suit. "Edward wants to go surfing and he insists that you have the protective gear."

"Alice, I've never surfed before. I think I'll just watch." I had seen enough surfers fall under waves this week. I had no interest in mimicking them.

"It's a lot of fun Bella. And yesterday's storm brought great waves. Don't worry, Edward wouldn't let anything happen to you." I knew she was right but I still had no interest in trying to stand of a surf board when I'm so uncoordinated.

After I pulled a pair of jeans over what Alice called a bathing suit, I put the wetsuit with my towel in my beach bag and we walked downstairs. I could hear Renee and Edward talking in the kitchen as we entered. Renee was wondering why they wanted to go to the beach when the sun wasn't out.

"Good morning love. Are you ready to go surfing?" Edward met me at the bottom of the stairs and led me to the kitchen to have breakfast.

"I'm just going to watch Edward. I don't think surfing and I go together." He smiled and didn't push the issue.

"Have you surfed the Atlantic before Edward? It's not the same as out west." Phil was trying hard to find something to talk about besides baseball. He was helping Renee pack the cooler for the beach.

"I'm sure I'll catch on Phil. I'm a quick study." I tried to conceal my laughter but Edward heard it sneak out. "Besides, I thought I'd spend the morning teaching Bella the basics."

"I am perfectly happy reading a book while relaxing in the sand. No need to risk injury." Edward just smiled and started to help Phil load the car. After we parked, Edward and Phil emptied the car while Renee, Alice, and I walked ahead to find a good spot on the beach.

"I still feel bad that you came all the way down and the sun hasn't been out since you got here." Renee had been apologizing about the weather since they first arrived. Luckily I convinced Renee that I was only laughing because she couldn't actually control the weather.

"Don't worry about it Renee. It's probably just a sign that I shouldn't be getting too much sun anyway. You know I want to keep my skin healthy for when I'm older." Edward and Phil finally caught up with us and put everything down. Edward and I walked up to the surf store that was on the boardwalk.

"It seems there's a tournament this afternoon." Edward pointed towards a sign next to the entrance.

"That could be fun to watch." A tournament meant that the water would be full. This was a good thing since Edward wouldn't be able to convince me to learn how to surf.

"I already signed Edward up." Alice came bouncing behind us. Edward didn't say anything but I could tell they were having one of their silent conversations. "It'll be fun Edward. Besides, since Bella is insisting that she won't surf with us I figured this way she could cheer you on."

"Alice. Don't you think it would have been nice to at least ask if I were interested in completing?"

"Nope." She pulled Edward towards the store and walked in. I followed behind them but was stopped short when I walked into Edward's back and tripped backwards. Before I caught my balance, I had knocked over a mannequin in a wetsuit that started a domino effect around the border of the store as displays fell over one at a time. Edward had his arm around me but I was already flustered and bright red.

"I'm sorry love. I was just overtaken by the smell of wet dog when I walked in." Wet dog? Does that mean-? I couldn't even finish my thought because I had seen my answer. There, in the back of the store near a display of wax stood Jacob.

"Who are you calling a wet dog?" Jacob walked towards us and stopped directly in front of me and Edward. "It's good to see you again Bella. Did you and Renee come to watch me compete this afternoon?" I was in such a state of shock that I hadn't even connected the surfing contest to the one Jacob had mentioned a few days ago. I wasn't sure what to say but Alice took a step forward.

"It's nice to see you again Jacob. When I saw that it would be overcast the rest of the week I thought it would be fun for us to come teach Bella how to surf. She decided against it though so I entered Edward in the contest this afternoon. I had no idea you would be here." She looked towards me.

"Sure, sure. Like I'm really going to believe that the psychic didn't know I was here." Everything was finally starting to click in my head as Jacob and Alice spoke. I had wondered if Edward had ulterior motives for coming back early but he seemed to be just as surprised as I was about everything. In fact, Alice was the only one near this conversation that seemed to have any idea what was going on. She must have been hiding her thoughts from Edward.

"Alice. Why don't you go back to Renee and Phil. Bella and I can finish up here." Edward sounded like he was trying hard to remain in control and not lunge at his sister in front of people.

"Fine. Just holler if you need help picking out the right board." Alice headed towards the door and soon vanished from the store.

"I must apologize for my sister. This all seems to have been planned but I can't seem to figure out why. I will remove my name from the competition roster. Good luck Jacob."

"What are you chicken? Afraid you're going to lose and look bad in front of Bella." I was standing right there.

"Jacob, please calm down." His hands were beginning to shake. Edward must have noticed too because he positioned himself between us.

"I am calm Bella. I'll see you later though. I need to leave." He walked towards the register and quickly paid before walking out of the store.

"I'm sorry love. I really didn't know he was still in town." Edward was trying to comfort me but I was still shocked about the entire situation. Edward picked out his items quickly and paid. We were heading back towards blankets with Edward continuing to comfort me the entire way.

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	27. Chapter 27

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"What are you thinking love?" We were laying next to each other on the blanket watching the surfing contest begin. I had my head on Edward's shoulder and he had his arm wrapped around me.

"I just can't believe you are really going to do this. Can't we just watch Jacob and try to keep the peace?" I didn't think anyone would get hurt but I didn't want to increase the tension between the two of them. Things were already tense enough.

"If I thought dropping out would make things easier I would." He paused for a second and seemed to be concentrating. When he spoke again, his lips were next to my ear and he was barely above a whisper. "Unfortunately I could hear his thoughts and I promise that dropping out would only make things worse. He thinks I'm only here to keep you away from him. When I'm in the water, he's going to try and speak to you again." I leaned up on my elbows and looked him in the eyes.

"What am I suppose to say to him?"

"Just say whatever your heart wants to say." I could hear in Edward's voice that it pained him to think about what I might say but he was trying to hide it. "If I stayed with you instead of competing, it would just anger Jacob more and that wouldn't help anyone." He made a good point. "Jacob's heat is about to start. Would you like to get closer to watch?" I nodded and we walked towards the beach.

Jacob waved before running into the water followed by four other surfers. A wave came and two of the other surfers took off, but it looked like Jacob wasn't pleased and he just sat on his board. He was looking behind him for a wave, but he continued to turn and face Edward and me on the beach.

"Is he concentrating on us instead of the waves?" I couldn't help but worry that it would be my fault that he lost the competition.

"Don't worry love. He's just waiting for the next wave. He's thinking about the flow of the undertow and he knows a larger wave is about to come. Sometimes, animal instincts can be helpful." Edward chuckled and I wasn't sure if he was laughing at my concern or his attempt at a compliment towards Jacob. "Here he goes." Jacob started paddling and the wave appeared behind him. The two other surfers still in the water began paddling behind him. As Jacob stood on his board, he looked like my Jacob. The Jacob with no cares or worries. I watched as he rode under the crown of the wave. When he reached the beach, the crowd cheered.

"That was amazing. Did he do well?" I didn't really understand the scoring for surfing.

"He won his heat. His frontside air with a 360 spin really put him over the top with the judges." As Jacob walked towards us the announcer's voice came over the PA system.

"The next heat will begin in five minutes. Mitchel Davis, Jose Cruz, Edward Cullen, Joey Raven, and Travis Lulbay please report." Edward kissed my forehead.

"Good luck Edward."

"I love you Bella. I'll be back soon." Edward began to walk away. When he and Jacob passed, they stopped for a moment. I couldn't hear what they were saying but Jacob smiled.

"You've got an interesting fiancé over there." Jacob was laughing as he approached me.

"What did he just say to you?" If Jacob was calling Edward interesting, I needed to know why.

"Not much. Just that he was impressed with my ability to sense when the wave was coming."

"Was that it?"

"Sure, sure." Jacob wasn't going to tell me everything Edward said. I could sense that there was more and I knew Jacob's weakness. I lowered my head and looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes. "Alright, I'll tell you. Just stop with those eyes." I knew it would work. "He said that he knew I was going to take this opportunity to convince you to leave him and come with me but that I should make sure you watched his heat."

"Jacob, I hate to see you hurting but I love Edward. It's like he is a part of me. I can't live without him."

"That's just it Bella. You're NOT going to live with him." Jacob emphasized as he spoke. "Can't you understand that? He's going to kill you." Jacob stiffened and I thought Alice was closing in but when I turned around I saw Renee walking towards us.

"That was impressive Jacob. I wonder if Edward will be able to stay in the competition. He was too busy trying to convince Bella to surf this morning that he never actually got in the water." I knew that Edward didn't need practice because he was perfect at everything.

"Thank you Renee. I'm just glad that second wave came. The first one felt too small." Renee smiled and turned towards the water as Edward began to paddle out.

"Go Edward!" She screamed at the top of her lungs while cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.

"I'm sure he'll do great mom. He got a few rides this morning. I was perfectly happy sitting with Alice and watching but he was insisting on teaching me." Insisting was an understatement because Edward was almost dragging me towards the water at one point.

"If you want me to teach you Bella, I'm sure I can get you up on a board. Some of us aren't perfect and actually remember what it's like to be a beginner." I choked at Jacob's comment right in front of Renee.

"Edward is far from perfect." I knew it wasn't true but I didn't want to start another argument in front of Renee. "He works extremely hard at everything he does. He spends hours at his piano every day to play as well as he does. Emmett basically has to drag him away from it to play ball with the boys." I wasn't even making any of this up. Of course it was the hours that most of us spent sleeping, but it was still hours. "And when he's not practicing his piano, he's doing homework and studying for school."

"Sure, sure. If he's so busy working hard to be perfect how does he find time for you?" Jacob was really just trying to wind me up at this point. I was trying hard not to let him get to me. I unexpectedly felt cold arms wrap around my waist.

"Did you enjoy my show?" I had been concentrating so hard on not yelling at Jacob that I completely missed Edward's run. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Edward, I missed it." His face lost all emotion as he turned towards Jacob. I wasn't sure what Jacob was thinking, but the smug look on his face made it appear that he was proud that I didn't see Edward in the water. "That's alright, I made the finals so you can watch the next round. I think Alice was taping it if you would like to watch it later." He pulled me closer and kissed me.

"I was watching Edward. I've heard of people walking the board, but that was the first time I've ever seen it done." Renee didn't strike me as a surfing fan but she seemed to know what she was talking about. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked back towards the blankets. Before we moved he turned towards Jacob.

"You are welcome to join us while we wait for the last heat to finish up. It will be interesting to paddle out with you for the finals." I'm not sure if I realized that both Edward and Jacob made the finals, but I was slightly nervous that one of them might not make it out of the water.

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	28. Chapter 28

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

"Oh relax Bella. It can't be that bad. There are too many witnesses for either of them to do anything." Alice seemed pretty confident in her assessment of the situation as the boys walked back towards the judges table to start the final round. "Besides, Edward wouldn't do anything to Jacob because he knows that would hurt you." The tone in her voice seemed to infer that Jacob was willing to hurt Edward.

"You're not helping Alice. I just want the two of them to get along." I knew I was asking for too much. "I mean, they don't need to be best friends but it would be nice to see them be friendly towards each other."

"I don't see that happening Bella."

"You don't see anything that involves Jacob." Alice just stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed. "You know what I mean though. Is it too much to ask that they act civil towards each other? Every time they're in the same place I feel like the atmosphere will explode from the tension." I think that was a good way to explain it.

"I know Bella but you have to see it from their perspectives. Edward and Jacob both believe the other is dangerous and will hurt you. Neither believed that you will be injured on purpose but they fear the other with just let his guard down for a second. Edward fears that Jacob will get too angry, phase, and maul you in the process. Jacob fears that Edward will be hungry, get too close, and eat you." I already knew all of this but hearing Alice state the obvious was somehow making me more worried about the two of them as they paddled out close to each other.

"Maybe we should just watch. I know that you're right, about everything. Unfortunately it doesn't ease my mind about the two of them out there together. There are oblivious humans around and we don't need another visit from the Volturi. At least not while I'm still a human." Actually if we never had another visit from the Volturi, I would be perfectly content.

"You need to stop worrying Bella. You're going to get premature wrinkles if you keep it up." Alice was back to her hyper self now as she began discussing facial products that she would get me. I tuned her out and turned my attention towards the water just in time to see Jacob and Edward stand on their boards. They both choose the same wave and they were heading in opposite directions. Almost in sync they both turned and were heading directly towards each other. It looked like a game of chicken and I couldn't watch. I covered my eyes as they got close to each other.

"You can look now Bella, Edward turned up to hit the top of the wave. They didn't collide." Alice must have thought it was funny because she was laughing as she said it.

"I didn't think they were going to collide." Alright I did, but I was too angry at her laughter to admit she was right.

"This is going to be a close one. They're definitely going to take first and second place but I'm not sure who's going to win. The other three surfers in the final didn't hit enough points at all." Alice seemed to understand the scoring of surfing but since Jacob was involved she wouldn't be able to see the outcome. "I think it will be better if Jacob wins."

"Alice, dear. Are you voting against your brother?" How long had Renee been standing behind us?

"Of course not Renee. However Edward was just competing for fun and Jacob really wants to win. It's not as important to Edward." Edward was walking towards us but I didn't see Jacob around.

"The judges are still trying to decide the winner. I thought I would come see what you thought of the run."

"I closed my eyes for part of it, but you were amazing for what I saw." I looked around. "Where'd Jacob run off to?" Edward wrapped his still wet arms around me and I shivered more than when his arms where dry.

"I'm not sure where Jacob ran off to but I have a feeling I know when you closed your eyes." He kissed my check. "When Jacob and I were heading towards each other."

"What were you thinking Edward? You could have collided." Again Edward lowered his face to mine but this time he didn't kiss me. He was whispering in my ear so that Renee couldn't hear.

"I wouldn't have let that happen. I was listening to Jacob's thoughts and I knew he wasn't going to divert so that's why I took the top of the wave." At least he hadn't planned on colliding.

"I still couldn't watch. You could have gotten hurt." I knew he wouldn't have actually gotten hurt but I said it loud enough for Renee to hear.

"Ladies and gentlemen." The announcer came over the loud speaker. "The judges have made their final decision. Although the final heat was extremely close, the first place trophy goes to-" He paused for the dramatic effect. "Jacob Black."

"Where's Jacob?" I asked as we all looked through the crowds for him.

"I'm not sure. I can't hear him." Edward said quietly. "I think he left as soon as we got out of the water." I looked down towards the sand. Why did Jacob have to disappear again? I thought we were having a nice day and he did win the competition.

"I hope he's alright. Perhaps we should go look for him." Renee sounded worried.

"I'm sure he's fine Renee. Jacob loves competition but not the spotlight. He probably just disappeared to avoid the cameras." Edward pointed towards the judges' tent as he spoke.

"Jacob Black?" The announcer called his name again. "I guess we'll just continue with the trophies. Our second place trophy goes to-" He paused again. "Edward Cullen." Edward kept his arm around me so I had to walk up with him as he accepted his prize. "Congratulations son. That was some surfing out there. We were all slightly worried when you two were heading towards each other." Edward gave his half smile that I loved.

"Yes sir. I was lucky that I saw him in time to kick out." The man shook Edward's hand a final time and we walked back towards Alice and Renee.

"Should we look for Jacob before we pack up?" Renee really seemed worried.

"I'm sure Jacob's fine Renee. He has our numbers if he needs something." Alice grabbed the trophy out of Edward's hand as she spoke. "It's not even real gold." We all laughed at Alice's comment as Edward grabbed his trophy back.

"Alice is right mom, Jacob will be fine." I couldn't help but swallow my words as I spoke. "Besides, we really need to get back to the house so I can pack up. The flight out is early in the morning."

"Alright Bella. I'll go tell Phil to start loading the car." Renee walked off ahead of us.

"Are you sure Jacob's gone? Maybe we should go look for him. I can't leave things like this." I was trying to hide my panic but I wasn't fooling them.

"He's long gone by now Bella. I can hear his thoughts a few miles out but it's quiet. I'm sorry." He pulled me closer. "When we get back to Forks, maybe you can get Seth to relay a message to him." I knew Jacob hated that I kept checking up on him, but if I casually mentioned something to Seth I know Jacob would hear it replay in his thoughts.

"You're right." I wrapped my arms around Edward and stretched to kiss him. He met me half way. "Let's go before Renee comes searching for us."

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	29. Chapter 29

**I do not own Twilight or the characters of Twilight. I would like to thank Stephenie Meyers for creating such a wonderful world and allowing us to play in it.**

I hadn't realized how difficult it would be to say goodbye to Renee. I knew I would see her at least one more time, at the wedding, but it didn't make this any easier. Soon I would never be able to see her again for her own safety. Once the goodbyes were done, Edward, Alice, and I were in the car heading towards the airport. Alice dropped Edward and me at the terminal and left to return the car.

"Are you alright love? There's no rush to return to Forks. We can stay a few more days if you want more time with Renee." More time wouldn't make this any easier.

"We really should get back. I'll see Renee in a few weeks at the wedding." I tried to smile.

"If you're sure." I took his hand and he smiled. After we checked our bags we walked up to the first class lounge. Rosalie was sitting there with her laptop. Edward must have sensed my confusion. "Rosalie and Emmett decided to visit Disney World since they were already in Florida. They're flying back with us." As if on cue, big arms grabbed me from behind and lifted me slightly off the ground.

"Emmett." I was laughing. "Please put me down."

"Sorry little sis." My feet returned to the floor and I turned around to see my future brother laughing. "I don't have many more opportunities to make you blush." We all sat down and after Alice arrived, Emmett told us stories from Disney.

"So the boat is rounding the bend and this elephant starts to spray water at the boat." He seemed to be fascinated with the robotics at the Jungle Cruise. "Now normally the skipper slows the boat down so that no one gets wet, but this guy was so infatuated with Rosalie that he pushed the throttle down instead of pulling it up. As the elephant gets up, the water starts spraying right as we pass." Rosalie seemed annoyed as Emmett was reminding her of the ride. "Rosalie took the majority of the spray because I was too busy laughing to shield her. When we got off the boat, the skipper on the dock gave her tons of towels. He then gave us each a coupon for ice cream to apologize for the water." I was trying not to laugh because I didn't want to aggravate Rosalie, but Emmett was just too animated as he retold the story.

"I'm sure you two loved the ice cream." Alice giggled as she spoke.

"We gave the coupons to a family with little kids." Rosalie smiled as she commented. She loved children and it showed.

"It sounds like you guys had fun. Last time I was in Disney World was when I was six." I smiled at the memory. Renee had taken me on vacation and we spent a few days riding all the rides.

"Maybe we'll take a family trip so you can experience it again." Alice jumped up as if on cue as Edward spoke.

"This will be perfect. We can go next week for Bella's bachelorette party."

"Alice, I don't want to go to Disney next week. With my luck, I wouldn't get sprayed by an elephant." They all looked slightly confused at my comment that getting sprayed was a good thing. "The whole boat would sink."

"Oh Bella. No boat at the Jungle Cruise has ever-" Rosalie elbowed Emmett. "Well, only one. But that was because I liked the native's dance and wanted to watch it again." I just glared at him. "What? It's not like anyone got hurt. That river is only a few feet deep and everyone on our boat had a great story to tell their friends." I just shook my head.

"I'd still prefer not to go next week." I hoped it would end the discussion.

"It'll be fun Bella. We need to get fun pictures with all the characters."

"Alice I really don't want to." She still wouldn't drop the topic.

"We're going to get a private guide so we can cut all the lines and maybe we'll do the backstage tour too."

"Alice I didn't say yes."

"But you will." She took out her laptop and I could clearly see her pulling up Disney's website so she could begin booking everything. I sighed and put my head down on Edward's shoulder.

"Are you hungry Bella? Maybe we should get you some lunch. The plane is going to begin boarding in twenty minutes." Edward took my hand and stood up, leading me towards the bar. I ordered a cheesesteak and coke.

"We can wait on a trip to Disney until after everything has settled down. You don't always have to do everything Alice wants." I heard a grunt come from the other side of the lounge and I knew Alice heard Edward.

"I'm not going to say yes. We have more important things to worry about right now." I kissed Edward. "Besides, we have eternity to go to Disney." He was smiling as I pulled away to finish my lunch. When I finished eating, we all headed out of the lounge to board our flight back to Washington.

When we boarded the plane, the five of us were the only ones in the first class cabin.

"Nice, I'm not going to be stuck sitting next to some annoying human." I glared at Emmett. "You're not annoying Bella. You're entertaining." I stuck my tongue out at Emmett and sat down on the other side of the cabin. Edward joined me seconds later and I placed my head on his shoulder as the plane took off.

"Bella?" Alice called from the back of the cabin. I decided to ignore her and pretend to be sleeping. Suddenly she was standing right above me. "I know you're not sleeping." Busted.

"What do you want Alice? Can't Edward and I just sit in peace?"

"Fine. I'll just order it."

"Order what?" We were on a plane in the air. I wasn't sure how she was ordering anything.

"Well, I thought it would be nice to release a dozen doves when you say I do." She smiled.

"No. I'm putting my foot down on that one Alice. We don't need any animals at the wedding." After Alice gave up and sat back down I decided to try and take a nap.

Edward must have realized I was tired because he had the flight attendant bring me a blanket and he was humming my lullaby. As the plane landed in Seattle, Edward gently woke me up so that we could exit the plane and head back to Forks.

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